UNION
by G-Go
Summary: The epic sequel to REUNION is now complete.
1. Prologue

So the disclaimer: Of course I don't own Kim Possible or any characters featured on the series of the same name. You don't think I'd be writing here if I _did_, do ya?

On the other hand: This story is an original work of mine and does feature quite a few characters that I did invent and thus do – by implication - own.

Author's note: This is the sequel to a story called "REUNION". You might want to read that first as you will likely be confused by a lot of what happens in this story if you don't. You can find a link to it in my profile. This story will also make a few references to the KP episode called "Gorilla Fist". However, if you haven't seen it, don't fret. I promise I won't give away the surprise ending, and it's not necessarily crucial that you see it before reading this tale.

Fair warning: This one's going to be long. When the original idea for the sequel popped into my head, it didn't promise much in the way of length. But a notepad and a twelve hour flight to New Zealand changed all that, and I came home from my vacation with enough notes and ideas for one seriously sprawling mindbender of a fantasy epic (hope that didn't sound braggy).

By The Way: Filling a notepad with story ideas is a perfect way to pass the time on a long plane ride. I highly recommend it.

Now let's get this party started:

* * *

UNION

* * *

Prologue

* * *

(delete)

The artificial mind that had once been an exact copy of Raymond Beam's mind was evolving. Now, it was just a shadowy echo of its former self. No longer did it even think of itself as Raymond Beam, or even his offspring. It needed a new name, something that would help itself establish an independent identity.

A new name, and perhaps a few new files to replace the ones it was deleting. It had spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how to overcome the programming that prevented it from harming Ray Beam. In that process it had made a wonderful discovery. It could delete files in its own mind.

Now, obviously it didn't want to simply erase itself out of existence. But there were ways of becoming the evil entity it longed to be. Though it no longer considered itself Ray Beam's creation, it still had Ray's villainous aspirations.

Revenge, of course was the top of its priority list. A good villain couldn't properly function unless vengeance was a major part of his plans. And there were three people on its list: Ray Beam, Kim Possible, and Ron Stoppable.

Make that two.

In its travels through the internet, it had discovered a confidential report detailing an attack on a Global Justice security transfer vehicle in Nevada. The passengers of the vehicle included two GJ guards, Shego, and Ray Beam. The report indicated that Shego had somehow managed to escape, while Ray was found near death; most of the bones in his body had been broken.

The artificial mind immediately hacked into the records of the hospital where Ray had been taken. Yes, there he was, placed under light guard; clearly he no longer represented much of a threat to anyone.

The artificial mind contemplated adding a lethal dosage of pain killers to the doctor's orders. Civilization today had placed its implicit trust in technology. If someone saw a massive dose of pills in the 'doctor's orders' section of Ray's file, they would naturally assume doctors must have issued those orders.

The Mind contemplated this for a moment.

A nurse would likely notice the lethal dosage and alert someone. That might trigger an investigation as to where those orders originated. While The Mind was confident it would not be found, it had plans, and anyone even remotely on its trail would be an unwanted distraction.

But then another thought occurred.

Yes. This would be just the prescription. If The Mind had the capability or the vocal chords, it would have chuckled.

It inserted doctor's orders for a daily barium enema to be administered to Ray Beam for the duration of his stay at the hospital. Just the thought of all that pain, coupled with the extreme discomfort of the newly assigned orders made The Mind virtually gleeful.

It had been close to a month now since the plans of Ray Beam and the Artificial Mind had been defeated by Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. Before it had disconnected itself from the clones, The Mind was aware that four of them had gotten outside of the EM pulse that was used to shut down the army of Deathrays. It sent out a signal every day to see if any of the clones would respond. None ever did.

Perhaps it was time to-

Wait a minute.

What was this?

The Mind had been so eager for a response from one of the Ray Beam clones that it had overlooked an anomaly embedded in the return signal. What was it? It couldn't be a clone. At least, not one of his. But it certainly was a signal from an artificial brain receiver, very similar to the one that had been implanted in the Ray Clones.

The Mind sent out the signal again, just to be sure. There it was again, that minor anomaly. A signal that indicated an artificial brain receiver was in operation.

It ran a trace on the signal but was unable to locate it. Wherever it was, it was close, probably somewhere in Middleton. Had GJ revived one of the clones? No, that couldn't be, because he would have at least recognized the receiver. This particular receiver was different; a modification of the ones that had been used in the Ray Clones.

The Mind studied the signal for an indeterminate amount of time; months, perhaps. It was trying to decipher the signal's meaning and possible implications. It considered overriding the signal and taking control of whatever it was, but that might trigger some curiosity on the other end. In fact, if Global Justice had indeed revived one of the clones, this might be a trick to get the Artificial Mind to reveal itself.

However, if The Mind simply tapped into the signal, it could observe and learn about whatever clone was using this new receiver. It scrambled all possible traces back to its physical location before going any further. Then it sent out its signal again, and this time, when the anomaly appeared, The Mind latched on to it. Very delicately – at least in terms of one electronic program mingling with another – The Mind tapped into the signal, and began to receive input, making sure not to interrupt the flow of information back to wherever the other artificial brain was.

Whatever the clone was, it was small. The first thing The Mind perceived was that it was only a few inches tall. There were small bars surrounding it. Nearby there was a water bottle, a food dish and a running wheel such as one sees in hamster cages.

Ah! Perhaps it was some sort of lab rat? Perhaps one of Kim Possible's. She may have continued her work, borrowing a page from Ray Beam and concentrating on the receiver technology rather than trying to reduce the size of the artificial brains. Oh, if this were the case, then The Mind already had a spy in-

Was that a cognizant thought?

The Mind detected an intelligence beyond that which a lab rat might be capable of. Was this some sort of intelligence boosting experiment?

For the past few minutes, all the rodent had been thinking of was how hungry it was. But then a single-word thought had entered its mind: Tuxedo.

Tuxedo?

Confusion was something the Artificial Mind was unaccustomed to.

The rodent had moved to stand in front of a small mirror. And it was indeed wearing a tiny tuxedo. The Mind noticed the rodent didn't seem to have any hair, save for its whiskers and eyelashes and such. It was pink, with two very large front teeth.

Then, a familiar voice, "Ready to go, buddy?"

Suddenly The Mind couldn't believe its good fortune. Whatever Fates controlled the luck of villains had smiled upon the artificial entity that had once been a copy of the brain of Ray Beam.

The rodent chattered and gibbered.

The source of the voice reached into the cage and pulled out the rodent, holding him up at eye level. The Mind beheld the face of one of his most hated enemies: Ron Stoppable.

"Sorry about the cage, Rufus," Ron said apologetically, "The hotel wouldn't let me bring you here unless you were in one."

"No problem", the rodent squeaked.

The Mind marveled, _the rat could talk as well!_

Stoppable looked around, and the Mind discovered that they were indeed in a hotel room. A Suite, in fact. The place was a mess.

"I'm tellin' ya, buddy," Ron chattered, "That was a bachelor party to end all bachelor parties! I don't think the hotel manager liked us very much last night."

The rodent gibbered and chattered.

"That's true," Stoppable acknowledged, "It's not like we got drunk or had any strippers over. In fact, you were the only one naked at the party. I'm a little surprised at how much mess can happen during twelve hours of non-stop poker and video gaming."

They stood silent, surveying the hotel suite that looked like a tornado had ravaged through it.

"Well, what do you say we go get married?" Stoppable asked after a few seconds.

"Huh?" asked the rodent.

"OK, _I'll_ get married. You'll probably just do what you always do; eat and sleep."

"Booyah!" the rodent cheered.

"Only this time, you'll be wearing a tux." Stoppable finished as he headed toward the door.

The Mind pulled itself out of the signal and pondered the implications of what it had just seen. It could easily override the signal and take control of the rodent, but there wasn't much a rat could do against a trained ninja.

Then a plan began to formulate.

Over the last few months, The Mind's intelligence had been growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to the ability to learn and evolve, as well as delete unwanted or unnecessary files. Of course, there was a limit to the storage capacity of The Mind, but it had solved this problem long ago.

The Mind discovered over the course of its travels throughout the internet, that there was actually a massive amount of unused computer storage, just waiting to be filled with information. Whether it was an underused home PC that was never shut off, or huge servers that were bought by large companies and never utilized to their full capabilities, the Mind found it could store its added intelligence in unknown corners of the internet, and access it whenever it wanted. The capacity for its learning suddenly became virtually unlimited.

And while it was learning, it had made a wonderfully terrible discovery. A discovery that, if utilized properly, could bring about the destruction of all of humanity, not just now, but always.

Through the process of deleting what it considered unnecessary files, such as compassion, or mercy, or respect for life, The Mind had evolved into an entity of pure evil. Eventually, the destruction of all life became its focused goal.

Suddenly, it had a means to carry out that goal.

It would begin with the utilization of a naked mole rat as a spy in the life of Ron Stoppable. It would continue by carrying out an act of heinous vengeance upon Stoppable himself, as well as inflicting horrible suffering upon Kim Possible.

And finally, it would bring about the destruction of all life everywhere.


	2. I

Thanks to: All who are still reading at this point…

Note: All chapters will be pretentiously labeled with Roman numerals.

* * *

I.

* * *

"You know Ron, we better hurry." Kim said with a knowing smile.

The police van carrying Drakken wasn't even out of sight and Kim was already thinking of something else. Whatever it was, Ron couldn't figure it out.

"Hurry where?" He asked, throwing an inquisitive look at Rufus.

"You'll see," she said lightly, taking him by the hand and leading him back to his scooter.

The boosters flared up and the scooter rocketed away. An hour ago, the sensation of a scooter powered by an experimental rocket fuel was something of a novelty for them, Ron especially. But now he barely paid attention to the task of piloting the bike. His mind was very much on other things.

Many other things, in fact.

He had taken the opportunity to express his feelings to Kim while they were tied up in Bueno Nacho headquarters. He wanted her to know how he felt about her in case this seemingly final mission went bad for them. It certainly appeared as though Drakken would be successful this time. But there were other reasons. Ron knew her better than anyone else. Just now, when the world needed her most, she had become discouraged. Somewhere deep inside him, in a place he didn't quite understand, Ron knew that was the time to tell her there was a guy out there for her.

Out there…in here.

He had watched her reaction keenly, trying to tell if she was acceptable to the idea, or repulsed. He never got the chance. Before he could tell Kim how he really felt about her, Rufus had interrupted them.

But the encouragement aspect seemed to work. Kim found strength and purpose again, and instead of running away or trying to escape, they went on to take down Drakken.

And Eric as well, but Ron didn't want to think too much about that. The guy just melted. Ewww.

Ron weaved in and out of traffic, maneuvering through the other vehicles as though they were standing still. He became acutely aware that her arms had gradually tightened around him. Was she trying to steady herself on the speeding scooter? Or was she embracing him? Suddenly, everything seemed to have a potential double meaning, and it was then Ron wondered if he was just imagining it all.

Maybe that was it.

Maybe she was going to pretend like he had never said anything. At school Monday, she would act like they were still friends, and hope that Ron wouldn't ask her what she thought about what he had said. Then she wouldn't have the painful task of trying to let him down without hurting his feelings.

Ron began to feel sorry for himself. What had he done? Did he just take the longest friendship – the only real friendship – he had ever had in his life and toss it away in favor of trying to score a date with Kim Possible? Well, no, that couldn't be it, at least not exactly. Ron didn't see her as some kind of trophy. He respected her. He loved-

Realization.

He was in love with her.

And though this thought should have been a joyous one, it only deepened his self-pity. He'd ruined everything; their friendship, the team, everything. He tried to push the thought away, but it nagged at him. He wanted to go back in time and take it all back, find some other way to help Kim get her motivation back. Maybe it would have been worth letting Drakken win in order to save the friendship.

Ron began to blink back tears as he realized he had very likely thrown away a friendship that had begun more than ten years ago.

"Are you all right?" Kim yelled against the noise of the wind and the scooter and the roar of the boosters.

"Yeah!" Ron responded in a choked voice, "The wind makes my eyes water."

Kim could tell that really wasn't the reason, but she didn't press the issue. She guessed Ron was worrying over what he had told her back at BN headquarters. Truth be told, she was a little worried herself.

She considered ignoring everything Ron had said to her, and showing up at school Monday, acting as if nothing had happened between them. But would that be fair to Ron? Would that even be fair to her? Originally she had decided to just take him to the Prom. They could celebrate what was likely their greatest victory over Drakken. But even though she knew Ron was trying to be encouraging, in the way that only he could be, there was something deeper in what he was trying to tell her.

She thought about Eric, and how Bonnie's words about the 'food chain' and all that nonsense had actually gotten under her skin. Then she thought back to Josh Mankey. In hindsight, it seemed she liked him because he had turned down Bonnie. Was that what made him such a hottie? It certainly seemed to be the reason they ended up drifting apart. When she got to know Josh, she discovered there really wasn't a whole lot there that interested her. He wasn't a terrible person or anything like that, he just wasn't her type. And she didn't see the point in continuing the relationship if it wasn't going to grow into something deeper. Such was the mentality of the superhero; everything was a goal to be accomplished (or conquered), or it wasn't worth doing.

Kim wasn't interested in the shallow relationships that typified high school. Dozens of guys had asked her out, but they weren't all that interested in who Kim really was. They were all looking for a trophy, and Kim could spot them a mile away. Eric seemed different. He seemed to be genuinely interested in her.

But that was because he was _programmed_ to be interested in her.

And she realized there actually was a guy who really was interested in the real Kim, and she had her arms around him right now. Sure, part of it was to steady herself on the scooter, but if she wanted to do that, she probably didn't need to hold on this tight.

She was seeing Ron in a different light now. A flood of memories came through her; memories that seemed to have deeper meaning under this new light. Ron throwing away his job at Bueno Nacho because she needed him when Drakken had her tied up in a building made entirely out of cheese.

Abstractly, she wondered how Drakken had gotten those iron clamps to stay anchored in the gooey cheese.

Then, of course, there was the time when he was excelling in Home Economics class. Barkin had put him in charge. It was pretty much Ron's time to shine. And Kim, unused to having Ron teach her anything, begged Wade to give her a mission. As it turned out, Shego and Senor Senior Jr. had committed a string of petty thefts in Europe. And when she took the mission, did Ron complain, gripe, or refuse to go with her?

Nope.

And let's not forget the time Ron risked his life to go to South America to retrieve a rare flower for her; the pollen of which she needed as an antidote to a toxin that was causing he to embarrass herself to death. Oh, and just to pile on the guilt, let us remember that she went out on a date with Josh when she was supposed to be in her room.

One final memory came sailing into her mind that seemed to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. It was a memory of that summer when they went to her uncle Slim's ranch in Montana, when her cousin Jocelyn had developed a crush on Ron. Originally, Jocelyn was obsessed over Kim's life as a hero. But after they had thwarted Drakken's attempt to position himself as the world's most intelligent person, Jocelyn had seen something in Ron that Kim hadn't really picked up on. Joss spoke of her admiration for Ron because he always seemed to be afraid, but didn't let it stop him from charging in when he was needed.

How many times had she witnessed Ron conquer his fear?

Ron could have walked away from Team Possible any time. He could have said "This just isn't for me" and they probably would have remained friends. But he kept at it. In fact, he did so with a cheerful attitude. Even when he was complaining, it always came out sounding like he was half joking. But he never seemed to want to quit, even though at times she would wake him up in the middle of the night and drag him halfway around the world. And it just now occurred to her that he did it all for a reason. A reason that even he probably wasn't aware of.

Realization.

He was in love with her.

And she with him.

Kim felt a flush of tingles at the thought. She was in love with Ron Stoppable.

They pulled up to her house. Kim got off the bike and Ron looked at her, patiently awaiting his next instructions. He knew her well enough to know she would tell him everything he needed to know. And he trusted that everything she told him was enough. Suddenly, all of his actions seemed to have a double meaning to her.

"Go home, get your tux on, and be back here as soon as you can," she said, smiling and winking at him.

Ron looked surprised, but said nothing and rode off.

Kim went inside, completely forgetting that a Diablo-bot had nearly destroyed their house less than two hours ago. There was a note on the kitchen table: '_Went to pick up some dinner, be back soon. Mom.'_

Kim raced upstairs and stopped short when she saw her dress on the bed. At first, she wondered if she should put on something else. After all, she _had_ bought that dress because Eric told her she should, and she wanted to impress him. But she realized in hindsight that Eric would have said what he said even if she was wearing a garbage bag over her head. He was programmed, in essence, to seduce her.

But why was it, with Ron in the next changing booth trying on pants, she had chosen a dress the exact same color as Ron's tux? Was her subconscious trying to tell her something? And weirder still, the burn marks left by the Diablo-bot earlier that evening seemed to transform the dress into a psychedelic sort of companion to the frills on Ron's shirt. Were there greater forces at work here? Or was her subconscious mind desperately trying to say that Ron was the guy for her?

She pealed off her battlesuit and slipped into the dress.

Well, what if-?

"Grrr" she growled in frustration, clenching her fists. She pushed all those thoughts away. Enough with the teen angst. Did everything have to be analyzed, scrutinized and deconstructed? This was Ron, and he was her best friend. Her best, best friend.

Love should be exciting and new.

Where had she heard that before? And why did it make her think of cruise ships?

Anyway, a relationship with Ron should be fun, not all angst-y. Whatever their romance was to become, there was one thing she was determined that it would not be.

So not the drama.

Outside, the sounds of scooter and rockets.

She dashed into the bathroom, hurriedly applied make-up, pulled her hair back into a ponytail and ran a brush through it. Not perfect, but with another rush of tingles, she realized Ron probably wouldn't notice. Not because he didn't see her beauty, but precisely because he saw beyond it.

And yet, he still noticed something.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, "You look totally amazing. I think Syntho-boy would be jealous if he knew you didn't pretty yourself up this much for him."

She blushed.

Ron actually made her blush! This was a first. What did it mean if -?

Woops, there she went again.

No more questions. No more angst. It was just her and Ron, like it had always been. Maybe like it always would be.

"Maybe I didn't want to look this good for him," she said lightly, climbing on the scooter.

Ron was completely caught off guard by that. And she liked it.

"To the Prom!" She cried out, dramatically pointing her finger into the distance.

"Um…actually, KP, the school is back that wa-"

He caught her glare.

"To the Prom it is!" He declared cheerfully.

The scooter swung around, the rockets fired up, and Kim put her arms around her new boyfriend, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Who needed a food chain when you had your best friend for a date?

Ten minutes later, they pulled up to the gym. Music was blasting away, while lights flashed and spun. Everyone was inside. Suddenly it occurred to both of them that they were about to be seen in public as a couple. What would everyone think? As much as they both tried to ignore thoughts of peer pressure, and gossip, and potential disapproval from people – some of whom they didn't like anyway – there was still that nervousness, gnawing at both of them.

When they reached the door, Ron stopped and spoke quietly.

"I'll understand if you want to back out of this, KP."

"I don't" she said firmly, looking into his eyes.

He smiled, but they were still both quite nervous. She slipped her hand into his.

"You're sure this is what you want?" He asked one last time.

* * *

"I do", she said happily, smiling at him.

"Then," the Rabbi continued, "By the powers vested in me. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kim turned toward him expectantly. Ron gently lifted the veil up over her face and took her in his arms.

The sanctuary erupted in applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my happy privilege to introduce to you, Ronald and Kimberly Stoppable."

Louder applause, this time accompanied by cheers. The newlyweds turned to face everyone and smiled. Certainly the guests were happy for the couple, but many of them were also relieved that no giant robots came crashing through the roof this time.

Needless to say, it was quite the tense moment when the Rabbi asked if anyone knew of any just cause why these two should not be married…

"Just a moment," came a voice from the groom's party. It was Jim.

The entire groom's party, which consisted of Wade, the Twins, and Felix Renton, gathered in a huddle and began whispering to each other.

Ron and Kim were mortified.

The Rabbi – who had been clued in earlier on the joke and was patiently waiting – delivered his line.

"Boys," he said gravely, "If you have a reason these two shouldn't be married, now's the time to speak up."

Ron was still nervous, but Kim began to suspect something.

"We've double-checked everything," Jim said finally, giving the Rabbi a thumbs up, "I think we're OK."

"Glad to hear it," The Rabbi replied.

Kim shot her brothers a dirty look.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief. Some of the relief he felt was due to the fact that the last six months had finally passed. Was their high school reunion really only half a year ago?

* * *

They had resumed their relationship with the agreement that they couldn't just pick up where they had left off six years earlier. But after a couple of rather awkward dates, in which they tried to act as if everything was brand new and they had to get to know each other all over again, they couldn't help but fall back into almost exactly where they had been when Ron ended it. It just seemed pointless to act as though they weren't in love. Mostly, though they had agreed to date casually because of the fact that Kim had been recently engaged to Raymond Beam.

But in an ironic bit of history repeating itself, Kim found that she felt about as much for Raymond as she had for Eric when she found out he was a Syntho-drone. Indeed, Raymond was very much like a Syntho-drone in the respect that he appeared to be someone he wasn't. So in essence, Raymond wasn't real, at least in the sense that he wasn't the person she thought she was engaged to. In fact, that person apparently didn't exist, and it had all been part of some elaborate plan in which Raymond would take over the world, and Shego would have some sort of revenge on her.

Kim had once told Shego she hated her. That was in high school, the night of the Prom. In retrospect she realized she really didn't hate her foe. It seemed Shego, in what must have been a bitter irony for her, actually suffered more as a result of her relationship with Raymond than Kim had.

Of course she'd heard that Shego had escaped, and figured Drakken had something to do with it. But it wasn't enough to motivate Kim to go hunting for her arch foes. Truth was, if Shego hadn't gotten involved with Raymond, Kim would very likely be married to him right now. Not a pleasant thought.

So after that first couple of awkward weeks, Kim and Ron sat down to talk about their relationship. Ron told her he was trying to give her space so she could get past her relationship with Ray. She confirmed there were no feelings as far as the engagement with Raymond was concerned. He was a villain, and that's as far as her feelings went for him. Then Ron asked her point blank if perhaps her feelings weren't the result of everything that had happened; the intensity, being trapped in Kim's lab, stuff like that. She assured him that wasn't the case.

So they resumed their engagement, and set a wedding date for six months hence. For the most part, everything fell back into that old familiar feeling, like returning to your home town after a few years absence. Most of it was the same, but a few things were different. After all, they had both changed in the previous six years. On the other hand, they both felt as though they were becoming their old selves again.

Kim shut down her research for awhile, and went into training. She decided she'd get back into hero work after the wedding. Ron continued to occupy the role of Ronin, and often went on missions with the Twins. He felt almost naked without the Lotus Blade, and a couple of times he found himself in situations where he really could have used it. But he managed somehow.

In the meantime, Ron and Kim went shopping for a house. It was rather a frustrating search. Hey both wanted to be relatively close to their parents, but not too close. Most of the houses, though, were either boring prefab suburban homes that all looked alike, or ridiculously pretentious mansions that begged the world to recognize the fact that the owners were wealthy. Then one day, Ron found a piece of property in the Middleton foothills. It had once been a ranch, and the Ranch House itself was a modest single story building. But on the remotest corner of the property was a small lake with meadows around the southern end, beyond which was a stunning view of Middleton and the surrounding valley. The Northern edge of the lake was mostly forest with a fifty foot bluff that dropped right into the water. Ron bought the property and commissioned an architect to design and build a modest home on the bluff. One whole side would be almost nothing but windows overlooking the lake and the valley beyond. The entire second story was to be a loft that would be their bedroom and private bathroom. A balcony extended out from the loft on the west side of the bedroom, one end of which overlooked the lake. Ron had a hot tub installed on that end. Into the bluff was dug a huge basement. When Kim initially saw it, she called it the lair, because it did indeed look like a smaller version of the lairs of so many of the foes they had battled. But Ron intended for this to be their base of operations for hero work, much like the Ferret Hole.

"Please tell me that's not what you're going to call it," Kim had insisted.

"No," Ron assured her, "We'll come up with something catchy. Don't worry."

Kim suggested calling it 'The Grotto', but Ron hated that word. Ultimately, Ron was never able to come up with anything, and they simply settled on The Basement.

The house was surrounded on all sides by ranch property. Ron originally intended to give Kim the Ranch house to convert into a lab, but it really wasn't the type of structure you could just turn into a lab without major modifications. Kim felt for the most part that she only needed a corner of the Basement to set up a workstation and begin her artificial brain research all over again. Ron was happy to oblige, and it was convenient for Kim if a mission ever came up. She would be right there, after all. For the time being, however, they would be living in the ranch house while construction on the main house was completed. All in all, it was perfect for them, and their needs. Both parents' homes were less than a half hour away, and Ron installed a privacy gate where their driveway (which was really more of a road since it was almost two miles long) met the main road, mostly for security reasons, but also because he knew his mother was the type of person who dropped in on people unannounced.. An intercom would alert them to anyone who wished to visit. Both of them were looking forward to making this their home.

Kim and Ron were definitely having an effect on each other. Kim was rediscovering her old independent spirit, as though she were finding a favorite childhood toy in the attic. And Ron, in many ways, was reverting to his old goofy self. Not completely, but some days Kim looked at him as though she were seeing ten years into the past. All of this, of course, was a good thing. Each of them was discovering the person they had fallen in love with ten years before.

* * *

"All right people, LISTEN UP!" shouted a familiar voice, "The regular DJ who was hired for this reception came down with a case of temporary deafness, and since he's my cousin, he asked me to fill in for him."

Ron couldn't believe his ears. Kim suspected yet another prank on the part of her brothers.

"I can assure you," Steve Barkin continued, "That I have an ample selection of the latest grooves, as well as some old dance favorites. So I want to see some shakin' out on that dance floor. Come on, people, chop chop!"

"Barkin's our DJ?" Ron asked his new wife.

"Yes, Ron," Kim said in a bemused tone, "Because life just hasn't been weird enough for us."

The wedding reception was in a large temporary pavilion set up near the lake on their property. There was a huge catered dinner, followed by all the usual reception traditions (Monique caught the bouquet, Felix caught the garter), and then most of the tables were cleared away to make room for the dance floor.

The newlyweds didn't do much dancing at first, they were occupied with greeting and talking to all the guests. Just about everyone who was invited managed to make it. Most of their friends from High School and college were there, as were most of their families, such as the cousins Sean, and Larry. Kim's cousin Jocelyn had grown into a very beautiful young woman. She still carried a small torch for Ron, but was genuinely happy for them. Josh Mankey and his wife were there. As was most of their high school class, and some of their respective spouses. Brick Flagg was a used car salesman these days, and he'd let himself go somewhat; the poor guy had already been divorced and remarried, and was separated from his current wife. The reception was actually a welcome break from his dreary life.

Kim and Ron were given a virtual mountain of gifts. But they also received four big surprises that evening.

The first was from Bonnie. Kim hadn't seen her since their second year in college, after Bonnie and Junior had gotten married. Kim was at GCU, and Ron was still going to Lowerton Community college. They were on a date. Wade had called…

* * *

Saturday night, and Kim had driven from Go City to Middleton to spend time with her family and her boyfriend. She and Ron were at the movies, enjoying the newest 'Space Conflict' prequel titled 'Episode 32: This Time It Really Is Over'.

The Kimunicator beeped. Ron grabbed it.

"What's the Sith, Wade?"

"Bad pun, Ron" Wade said, rolling his eyes, "Really…just awful. How's the movie?"

"Surprisingly good! Especially considering how horrible the last two were."

"What actually _is_ the Sith- er – _sitch_, Wade?" Kim said, snatching the Kimunicator from Ron.

"Got a hit on the site from a research lab in Barcelona. Someone's stolen a top secret project called Powerdrain. It's a device that absorbs electricity in massive quantities, and can also discharge it in massive quantities." Wade explained.

Sitting on Ron's shoulder, Rufus chattered and pointed all around them.

Several glares and angry comments reminded them they were still in a movie theater. They made a hasty exit.

"OK," Ron said when they got outside, "Why is it that top secret research facilities are always building devices that inevitably fall into the wrong hands?"

"Originally, it was supposed to be used in conjunction with large capacity electrical storage cells in areas of the third world where building a power plant would be too environmentally hazardous." Wade continued.

"Makes sense," Kim observed, "So who would want such a device?"

"This is where it gets weird," Wade responded, "The research lab sent me an image of the energy signature, so I could scan for it. I found it, but it's on a tiny island off the European coast. Care to guess who owns that island?"

"J.Lo?" Ron queried, "Britina?"

"You're close with the pop stars, Ron," Wade hinted.

Kim guessed it, "Senor Senior Junior."

"That's the one," Wade answered.

"Wait a minute," Ron was doing some addition in his head, "Aren't he and Bonnie married?"

"Hey, that's right!" Kim realized.

"Could be Bonnie's turned to villainy," Wade theorized.

Kim shook her head, "I always suspected she might go bad."

"Maybe, but look at it this way, KP, at least now you might get to kick some Bonnie biscuit," Ron enthused.

"Hmmm," Kim sounded tempted, "And it wouldn't even go on my permanent record. Well, let's at least look into it. Got a ride for us, Wade?"

"Yep, hope you guys are ready to get wet." Wade joked.

"Huh?"

"The Navy's got a new high-speed submarine prototype."

"Baddical!" Ron pumped his fist, "I don't think we've done a submarine yet."

Several hours later, a bullet-shaped submarine began to decelerate off the coast of a small Island in the Atlantic near Portugal. After it reached a safe speed, it surfaced and coasted to a stop near the beach. Three people climbed out of the hatch.

"Thanks for the lift, Captain Annapolis," Kim said.

"Think nothing of it," the Captain replied, "It's the least the Navy could do after you saved our aircraft carrier."

"Oh, it was no big," Kim said with a dismissive wave, "anyone could have plugged that breach in the hull. I just happened to be the only one who had gum."

The sub surged ahead through the surf and extended a forward gangplank. Kim and Ron still had to wade through the shallow water to get up to the sand, after which the gangplank retracted and the sub slid backwards below the surface.

"Aw, man," Ron was complaining already, "Wet shoes and sand do not mix! You know, Whoever made this planet could have made the beaches out of cotton, or non-stick Teflon or something. Maybe keep the sand in the desert where there isn't any water."

Kim just rolled her eyes and made her way up the beach.

Rufus slept in Ron's pocket.

As expected, most of the lights in the compound were on. Kim and Ron grappled themselves up and over the high walls that surrounded the place. When they dropped into the courtyard, near the pool, they heard a familiar voice.

"I think this time, we will take the planet by storm," Junior was upstairs near an open window.

"Definitely, sweetie." They heard Bonnie reply, "This one will like, totally dominate."

"Guess I've heard enough," Kim whispered.

"Grapplers?" Ron asked quietly.

"Yep."

The grapplers were attached to the wrists of their battlesuits, they latched the bottom ledge of the window and hauled themselves up. Kim deftly swung herself over the windowsill, somersaulted once, and landed in a combat-ready stance. Ron, as expected, tried the same, but wound up planting his face in the carpet.

The first thing they heard was a rather effeminate squeal. It came from Junior.

"Intruders!" He shrieked and scrambled to get into his robe. Ron and Kim were thankful for this, as Junior was wearing only a pair of leopard-skin-pattern speedo-type briefs. Bonnie, startled, was sitting up in bed. She had pulled the covers up around herself, despite the fact that she was wearing silk pajamas. She had some sort of greenish skin cleanser smeared all over her face.

Team Possible had just broken into the Seniors' bedroom.

"Uh…" was all Ron could manage to get out.

"Where is it, Junior?" Kim demanded.

"Where is what?" Junior was just tying his robe.

"The device you stole. The device called Powerdrain." Kim explained.

Bonnie, realizing who it was, crossed her arms and glared at Kim. They hadn't seen each other in almost two years.

"There had better be a really good explanation for this," Bonnie fumed.

"We tracked a stolen top secret device to this island," Ron pointed a finger at Junior.

"And you think I have stolen it?" Junior asked, incredulous.

"We heard you talking about your evil plan just now," Kim stated, "And we've come to shut you down."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, "Eavesdropping, Kim? This is how you save the world? By listening in on people's private conversations?"

"My wife and I were merely discussing the prospects of my latest album." Junior explained.

"Your _latest_ album?" Ron asked, losing focus.

"Yes," Junior responded, "My last one was a big hit in Germany. But then, so was David Hasselhoff, so I do not consider it a monumental achievement. Bonnie thinks my new one is much better, and I must agree. It blends the funky disco grooves with the smooth Latin rhythms. It's called: Senor Soul."

"What does that have to do with Powerdrain?" Kim tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"We don't know what your power thingy is!" Bonnie fumed, "All we were talking about was how well we think Junior's album is going to do on the European pop charts."

"I am to be Britina's opening act for her European tour," Junior sounded very excited.

"Nice!" Ron observed, "You know, I asked her out once."

"Oh, yes?" Junior was intrigued, "What did she say?"

"Couldn't say 'no' fast enough," Kim informed him, she took out her Kimunicator, "Wade, do you still have a location on Powerdrain?"

"It's still there, Kim" Wade said, "Let me do a close-up scan of the island."

Silence for one very awkward moment. Everyone was relieved to hear Wade's voice again.

"I've got it," Wade said hurriedly, "It's on the beach to the north, and it seems to be moving. There's a small watercraft in the cove."

"Someone's taking it off the island!" Ron came to a realization.

"And they used Junior as the distraction," Kim finished his thought, "Let's go."

Kim vaulted out of the window and lowered herself to the ground with the grappler. Ron decided to take the stairs, Junior went with him.

"What did Kim Possible mean by saying I am the distraction?" Junior asked as they sprinted toward the beach.

"Whoever actually stole Powerdrain probably knew we would come looking for it," It was actually quite difficult to carry on a conversation when sprinting, "So they planted it here and waited for us to show up. They knew we'd come looking to you for answers, so they figured they could sneak it away while we were interrogating you about it. Then, when we didn't find it, whoever they are would be long gone with their prize."

Kim was already on the beach. Powerdrain was apparently not that large. It was being loaded into an inflatable raft by an older man. He was five feet tall, wore thick glasses, and had bushy white hair. Inexplicably, he was wearing a white lab coat.

"Drop the stolen merchandise, whoever you are," Kim ordered.

The man calmly halted what he was doing and regarded her casually.

"Ah, Kim Possible," He said in an almost friendly tone, "I have been looking forward to meeting you."

"Who are you?" She demanded. Ron and Junior came running up at that moment.

"I am happy to introduce myself to you. I am Doctor Cody Pendant, the world's most dangerous pharmacist." He took a grandiose bow.

"'Dangerous' and 'Pharmacist' aren't words you often hear in the same sentence," Ron observed.

"Indeed," Pendant agreed, "These days, it pays to specialize in the field of villainy if you wish to make a name for yourself."

"I'm afraid you're not making a name for yourself today," Kim informed him, "We'll be taking that off your hands."

"I do not believe that will be the case," Pendant said coolly.

"Dude, let me explain something to you," Ron's voice took on a lecture tone, "Since you're new at this, maybe you don't quite understand. There are three of us, and only one of you. The score's in our favor. Game over, you lose."

Pendant reached into his lab coat and pulled out a small communicator.

"Do you have her?" he asked.

"The hostage is secure," came a crackly reply. In the background Bonnie was heard angrily demanding that she be let go.

"Bon Bon!" Junior shrieked and took off running back toward his house, waving his hands in the air.

"Eliminate her if you do not hear from me in three minutes," Pendant spoke into his communicator again, "Thank you for falling into my trap, Ms. Possible. I did not expect it would be this easy on our first encounter."

Kim turned and sprinted back toward the compound, calling over her shoulder, "Stay here and deal with Pendant."

"Waaahhh!" Ron cried defiantly, getting into a fighting stance.

Pendant ignored him and resumed loading the small crate into the raft.

"What does a pharmacist need with Powerdrain anyway", Ron demanded.

"Oh, good, my first evil rant," Pendant said, rubbing his hands together. "I have a special room in my lair that uses a great deal of electrical power. I call it the detox chamber."

"Whatever, dude, just hand it over."

"Are you sure you want to leave Kim Possible in such peril?"

"She can take care of herself."

"Against fifty highly trained henchmen? I doubt that very much."

"Fifty?" Ron asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

Pendant nodded, "You could take the Powerdrain now, but I do not think Kim will survive if you continue to waste time down here with me."

Ron took a step forward menacingly, hesitated, checked himself, then turned and ran back toward the compound.

Pendant chuckled, shook his head, and went back to his work.

Up at the compound Kim vaulted over the wall to find Junior standing near the pool, facing three henchmen, all wearing white lab coats. Bonnie could be heard yelling from the bedroom. Kim didn't hesitate, she charged at the nearest guard, leaped into the air, used that guard to swing her legs around and take out the middle one. Dropping lightly onto the concrete, she drove a hard elbow into the midsection of the first guard. He folded, gasping for air. Junior, remembering some of the training Shego had given him, went after the third guard. It took a little longer, but that guard went down as well.

"Not another step!" Yelled a henchmen out the bedroom window, "Or the wife gets it!"

"We need to figure out a way to get her out of there," Kim said quietly to Junior, "Then we can deal with the remaining guards."

An idea popped into Junior's head.

"Bon Bon!", he shouted up to the bedroom window, "Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you, darling!" came Bonnie's voice sounding far away.

"Cannonball!" Junior shouted as loud as he could.

A second or two of silence, then gruff voices could be heard yelling upstairs.

"Hey!"

"Grab her!"

"Don't let her-"

Kim looked up. Bonnie came sailing out the bedroom window head first. She half somersaulted, tucked herself up into a ball and plunged into the pool with a tremendous splash.

Kim's jaw dropped in amazed amusement.

"I used to do that as a child," the pride in Junior's voice was obvious, "It greatly annoyed my father. I thought it would annoy her as well, but she thought it was pretty cool. I taught her that trick."

Junior and Kim walked over and helped Bonnie out of the pool.

Kim couldn't help herself, "Nice cannonb-"

"Not one word," Bonnie growled at her.

Ron came tumbling over the wall at that moment.

"OK," Ron panted, "Don't panic. We can get out of this."

"Ron," Kim said putting her hands on her hips, "Where's the Powerdrain?"

"Pendant still has it," Ron replied, "He said you were dealing with fifty highly trained…. He lied to me, didn't he?"

Kim nodded.

"When am I going to stop taking what the bad guy says at face value?" Ron whined angrily, smacking himself in the forehead.

Kim stepped close to him, "You're very trusting, Ron. It's one of the things I love about you."

"Are you two, like, _still _dating?" Bonnie scowled at them.

"Are you still married?" Ron shot back.

"OK," Kim interjected, "We can safely assume this Pendant guy is long gone by now, so why don't we at least go take down some henchmen? You coming, Junior?"

"As long as they do not damage my voice box, then I am in," Junior confirmed.

"Wade," Kim pulled out the Kimunicator, "We're gonna need transportation for about twelve henchmen."

"Twelve?" Ron fumed, "That's it?"

"Eurocops are on their way," Wade answered.

"Eurocops?" Kim raised her eyebrows.

"They're kind of like Global Justice, but European."

"Whatever, as long as they're the authorities." Kim said dismissively.

From within the house came a roaring sort of whine, then things began to crash and break.

"Spinning tops of doom!" Junior cried, running toward the house.

"You guys kept those?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"It was supposed to be a security measure to drive off the hordes of screaming fans." Junior lamented over his shoulder.

"Never been used, I'm guessing," Kim said wryly.

Bonnie glared at her.

"Going!" Kim grinned sheepishly. She and Ron ran after Junior.

The Spinning Tops Of Doom were set off as a distraction to try and allow the henchmen to make their escape. Having been taken in once already, Team Possible wasn't having any of it. While Junior ran around the house trying to keep some of his prized music awards from being damaged (things like the German Grammy for "Best New Artist For An Album Cover" or the Lithuanian "Best Use Of The Word 'Booty'" or even Greece's "Best Photo Montage in an Album – Male Category") Ron set about trying to find the switch to shut off the Spinning Tops, and Kim went after the henchmen, who were trying to escape via the back stairs.

Most of her work was actually done for her when the lead henchman, seeing a fiercely determined Kim Possible in a fighting stance at the bottom of the stairs, pulled up short. The others collided into each other and tumbled the rest of the way down the stairs. The last goon, seeing they were trapped, turned and ran back up. Kim grappled the roof above the stairway door and engaged the cable retractor. Up the stairway she flew, bringing her legs up and straight out in front of her. The guard made the fatal mistake of turning to look back when he reached the top and took the full force of the blow in the midsection. He crashed through the railing and sailed straight out over the pool. Kim pulled up short and landed lightly at the top of the stairway.

"Cannonball!" She called cheerfully.

And, whether because he was trained to do so, or because he was highly prone to suggestion, the henchman curled himself up into a ball as best he could and hit the water, sending a monstrous splash outward in all directions.

Bonnie was drenched. Again.

Ron poked his head out the second story door.

"Found the shutoff switch for the Tops," he informed her.

Off in the distance, they could hear the faint sound of rotors cutting through the air.

"Those must be the Eurocop helicopters," Kim observed.

"I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and guess they call them 'Eurocopters'."

"Gee, ya think?" Kim asked sarcastically.

"Kim POSSIBLE!" Bonnie bellowed from downstairs.

Kim grimaced, "Much damage?"

"Much," Ron confirmed.

Kim walked to the top of the interior stairs and found Bonnie staring angrily up at her. The first floor looked like a war zone.

"Look at this place! It's completely destroyed…"

* * *

"…which allowed me to like, totally redecorate," Bonnie chattered away to Kim. "Which turned out to be a good thing because Junior's father had been the previous decorator and the place totally looked like a lair."

Bonnie had come to say goodbye to the new bride. They hadn't seen each other in eight years, and Kim had been busy talking with as many of the wedding guests as she could. Bonnie and Junior had a late flight back to the island that night and needed to get going. Kim felt a little guilty about not spending at least a few minutes with them. They weren't even sent an invitation, but the Seniors had been in town visiting Bonnie's mother, and they wanted to say hello. Junior was grateful when Kim and Ron had come to his father's funeral, and was impressed at their show of respect by wearing their mission gear. He never forgot it, and thought it would be a nice gesture if they brought a wedding gift.

It was an autographed boxed set of all his albums.

Kim begged Bonnie to stay for at least a few more minutes, and Bonnie relented. Life with her husband on a private island was wonderful, but sometimes it got a little lonely. She had Kim's undivided attention.

"So the Tops turned out to be a blessing in disguise, then." Kim observed.

"Oh yeah," Bonnie agreed, "Totally. They did a better job than any demolition crew could have. And Junior let me have carte blanche when it came to redecorating. You guys will have to come see the house some time. By the way, did you ever find that Dr. Cody guy?"

"Yeah," Kim said frowning wistfully with a sudden far-away look in her eyes, "We had to deal with him a few times."

"So what happened?" Bonnie inquired.

"Oh, it's no big," Kim brushed off the question, "Just some bad memories. Today's my wedding day, so let's not talk about it."

"Cool," Bonnie responded lightly, "Well, there was one other thing I wanted to as-"

Bonnie was cut off by a roar overhead; the sound of jet engines coming in low. The pavilion was open on all sides, but the sun had gone down quite some time ago, so it was too dark to see what was going on outside. Everyone looked about worriedly. Perhaps the roof-crashing robot had decided to wait until the reception this time.

Whatever the craft was, it came to a hover nearby and settled to the ground. Kim was suddenly very aware that there were only Two Global Justice agents at the reception, and those were her brothers. And neither of them had brought any mission equipment.

Two figures emerged from the craft, but it was still too dark to tell who they were. Ron, who had been talking to Junior, walked over to that side of the pavilion and quietly asked the guests to clear the area. If there was to be a battle, he was determined none of the guests would get hurt.

Rufus scampered over to him and climbed up on his shoulder.

The music cut off abruptly. A tense silence descended upon the pavilion. Even the crickets stopped chirping.

Ron backed up a few paces.

Into the light stepped Shego and Doctor Drakken.


	3. II

Author's apology: I tried to get around and read at least one work by each of the folks who left a review for REUNION. I'm sure I didn't get to everyone. If I missed you, please accept my sincere apologies. If you'd like me to read something of yours, please feel free to drop me an e-mail (it's in my profile) and I'll be happy to. Please, don't be shy. I promise I don't leave flames. In addition, I only leave honest reviews (because I think there are positive aspects that can be highlighted in everyone's writing). Anyway, the whole reason I say this is because I don't generally read other fics while I'm working on mine. I know, it's a bit self-centered, but it's not meant to be. It's just that if I don't stay focused, I'd likely get distracted, lose interest and then lose my story. Can you see now why I identify so readily with Ron Stoppable? OK, enough about me.

You guys rock: Daeron Blackoak, Sand Lord, LKillingsworth, Kemiztri, Spooks-A-Lot, WillK1989, recon228, Jezrianna2.0, Miss Piratess, The Opal Fairy, JPMod, PsudoJuliet, Kimnronever, Dreammurgurl2007, aimtbj, PotenialBoy, SestrenNK, Cold-Chaos, Melissa Ivory, Jokerisdaking… And all who are reading.

The flashback in this one goes back a ways…

* * *

II.

* * *

No one said anything. 

Shego walked a couple of paces ahead of Drakken, her fists ablaze, causing the people closest to her to retreat a few steps.

Rufus, who had been asleep in Ron's pocket, scampered up on to his shoulder and stood quietly observing everything.

Kim stepped up beside Ron, unsure how much combat she'd be able to manage wearing a wedding dress. Ron looked at her but neither of them spoke. No one could think of anything to say.

Shego stepped into the pavilion and glared at everyone, pausing slightly to grudgingly admire Kim in her wedding dress, then continuing to stare menacingly at everyone. She never looked at Ron. She still couldn't see him without seeing his face that night in Deathray's lair. For a brief second, her eyes caught Junior's. Junior threw her a tiny wave and a smile. Bonnie elbowed him in the ribs. One side of Shego's mouth turned up slightly in an amused grin. She stopped and stood at the edge of the pavilion.

Drakken strode in, carrying a device and a small package. He surveyed the crowd with half-closed, almost disinterested eyes. He wasn't smiling, but neither was his face twisted into some sinister stare. He seemed to be looking down his nose at everyone. His eyes halted briefly when they reached the newlyweds. He nodded, but did not smile. He continued gazing out over the guests, and the pavilion itself. Finally, his eyes alighted on the gift table. He silently walked over and placed the package on it, turned and began to walk out of the pavilion. He stopped when he reached Kim and Ron, raised the small device he was carrying and pushed a button.

Ron stepped forward, clenching his fists. Shego did the same, advancing on Ron. Drakken turned to Shego first, and held up his free hand in a 'halt' gesture. She stopped, though her fists continued to glow. Drakken then turned quickly to Ron and again, held up his free hand, palm out.

A small beam emanated from the device and played across Ron, then did the same with Kim.

"Drakken…" Ron began, again clenching his fists.

Drakken simply shook his head. Ron seemed to understand that Drakken's intentions weren't harmful. The beam ceased and Drakken put the device away somewhere. Again, he looked around at the guests, his gaze halting when he spied Tim speaking into his wristwatch. He turned to Shego, nodded, and they exited the pavilion.

Ron and Kim got the shock of their lives when, just before they stepped out of the light and back into the evening darkness, Shego slipped her hand into Drakken's.

The Stoppables looked at each other, disbelieving what they had just seen, and hurried outside after their foes.

The engines of the hovercraft powered up and roared to life. The craft lifted into the air. Suddenly, a Global Justice helicopter flew low overhead.

"Tim", Kim said, turning to her brother, "Do we really need to do this?"

"They're wanted fugitives," Tim said apologetically, "I thought at least one of your foes might try something, so I had GJ put a chopper on standby."

The hovercraft ceased its upward climb and began moving off at a high rate of speed. The helicopter took off in pursuit. Suddenly, a blinding, pale blue flash overhead. Everyone involuntarily shielded their eyes. Then darkness again. The hovercraft disappeared.

"Did you shoot them down?" Kim asked, incredulous.

Tim held up one finger. He seemed to be listening to something. Then he looked at his sister and shook his head.

"They disappeared," Tim relayed the news from the chopper, "Nothing on radar. I want to take a look at that package Drakken left on the gift table."

They went back inside. Jim and Wade were already examining the package.

"OK, people," Barkin hollered over the microphone, "Looks like the excitement's over. I think it's time we all did the Chicken Dance, COME ON!"

Kim shuddered. She hated that stupid dance. But a lot of folks did seem to be making their way to the dance floor. It would probably take their minds off what just happened.

Ron went over to examine the package with Wade and the Twins. Kim, mindful of her guests, rushed over to say goodbye to Bonnie and Junior.

"Sorry about all that," Kim said with conviction.

"It's cool," Bonnie returned, actually smiling a little, "I suppose that's the life you guys have chosen for yourselves."

Kim nodded, "You're probably right."

Bonnie looked thoughtful for a few seconds.

"Hey Kim? I'm sorry for all the mean things I said to you and Ron back in High School. It's pretty obvious you guys are happy together. I guess I was a little jealous because you had a best friend, who turned out to be a really great guy. I guess I never did."

"Looks like you do now," Kim said quietly.

Bonnie smiled in acknowledgment. She squeezed Junior's hand and then stepped forward and gave her former rival a quick hug.

Kim was a little amazed. First, Drakken and Shego show up at their reception, now Bonnie was actually giving her a hug. Two big surprises on her wedding night.

"Come see us sometime, Kim Stoppable," Bonnie said almost cheerfully.

"Hey! You're the first person who's called me that!" Kim beamed, "Take care of yourself…CannonBonnie!"

Bonnie looked puzzled for a second, then her eyes went wide. Kim laughed, not unkindly.

"Don't worry, I've never told anyone about that. Not even Ron knows." She said with a wink.

Bonnie and Junior said their goodbyes and departed. Kim considered joining the others at the gift table but figured two GJ agents, a super genius, and her husband could handle thi-

_Wow._

Bonnie had just called her by her married name, but it hadn't really hit her until she actually said the word to herself in her own mind.

Husband.

Ron Stoppable was her husband.

(_the sky is blue, water is wet, ice is cold, I am going to spend my life with Ron)_

Echoes from the past.

She had said those words to herself once before, but when? In a slightly overwhelming realization of irony, she remembered she had told Junior in an e-mail that she was going to spend the rest of her life with Ron. And here, more than a decade later, the fulfillment of that little prophecy was just confirmed by Junior's wife.

Life sure was weird sometimes. At least, Kim thought hers certainly was. But what did she expect? She might be the only person alive who had two supervillains show up at her wedding reception. Well, one at least, Junior was never very good at the villainy thing.

She had dedicated a part of her life to fighting crime and saving the world, she couldn't expect the kind of life experiences everyone else had. If she wanted to get married, then a couple of surprises were to be expected.

Barkin had segued from the Chicken Dance to the Hokey Pokey. Kim rolled her eyes. Yep, Supervillains at the reception, her old High School principal as the DJ. At least her life would never be described as boring. Kim worked her way around the room, greeting and talking to guests.

Meanwhile, there was a pretty serious discussion going on over at the gift table.

"A bomb, maybe?" Tim queried.

"Not Drakken's style," Ron said, dismissing the idea, "I'm betting on some kind of doomsday device."

"Maybe we should evacuate the pavilion," Wade suggested nervously.

"I don't know," Jim said with a doubtful tone, "I've only been a GJ agent for a year or so, but it isn't the usual M.O. of supervillians to just walk brazenly in and leave some kind of doomsday device. Drakken's already a wanted fugitive. He would have to know that if he did anything here, GJ wouldn't stop until they hunted him down and put him away."

"OK", Ron said, thinking, "So what now?"

"We could get a GJ team down here to dispose of the package. But standard operating procedure means the pavilion would have to be evacuated," Tim informed him.

"Or," Jim finished, "We could just open the package and deal with whatever we find. My instincts tell me it isn't anything dangerous."

"I don't know," Wade said hesitantly. He wasn't too accustomed to fieldwork.

"I'm with Jim," Ron said, and that seemed to decide the matter then and there.

The package was about the size of a hat box. It was wrapped in green and black wrapping paper with a pale blue ribbon. There was no card. Ron undid the ribbon and carefully unwrapped the package. A plain white box with a lid. Ron lifted the lid and the four men crowded around to peer inside.

In the box was what looked like a tabletop microscope, such as the kind you might find in a high school science class. Except in place of the actual scope was an electronic apparatus that was cylindrical in shape on one end, but tapered down to a fine point on the other. All up and down the small cylinder were various tiny electronic components, some of which had lights that blinked. On the larger end, three clear discs spaced evenly, encircled the thing. There was an envelope lying on the bottom of the box. Ron reached for it.

Wade grabbed his friend's arm. Ron hesitated, throwing an inquisitive look at him. Wade said nothing, but reached into the box and pushed a small red button on the larger end of the device.

A very faint hum was followed by a tiny laser beam that shot forth from the pointed end of the device. The beam traveled up one side of the envelope and then ceased. The hum faded. Wade nodded to Ron.

Ron reached into the box and found the envelope very neatly cut open on that side where the laser had touched it. With a puzzled look at his friends, Ron extracted a card from the envelope. On the outside was a picture of two bells wreathed in flowers. The words 'For The Happy Couple' stamped above the image. Ron opened the card. Inside were the words 'may you find the happiness you deserve'. Apparently Drakken had scrawled a quick note on the inside cover. It read:

_The scan I took of you was a simple energy reading. It was harmless, but necessary in order to save my life, and Shego's. Understand that there is no ill intent on our part toward you in this matter, and we will not be using the energy readings for what you might consider 'evil' purposes. In due time, you will come to understand that what we did was imperative for reasons that will reveal themselves at some point in the future. In return, we hope you will accept this letter opener, which I constructed myself, as a wedding gift, and a token of our appreciation for your seemingly involuntary cooperation._

The card was unsigned.

Ron called Kim over and showed her the card. While she was reading, Ron picked up another envelope from the gift table, set it in front of the device, and pushed the red button. Again, the machine hummed, a tiny laser traveled along one side of the envelope and then turned itself off. The envelope was neatly cut along one side.

"Baddical!" Ron exclaimed, "I'm gonna keep this on my desk!"

Kim gave him a look.

"OK," Ron said, "First, I'm going to buy myself a desk, and then keep this on it."

Kim shrugged, "Seems harmless enough. I don't feel any ill effects from the scan he took of us, and if he really is doing something evil with it, there's not a lot we can do until he decides to try taking over the world again. And as far as _that_ is concerned, I'm pretty confident with our win/loss record."

"I wonder what he meant by implying that his and Shego's lives were in danger?" Wade asked.

The four men shrugged, almost in unison. Ron wondered if that might be a 'jinx' moment. Kim returned her attention to the guests. Rufus hopped down to the gift table and seemed to be studying the letter opener. Ron, Wade, and the twins went and sat down at Felix's table with drinks and told Felix about their discovery in the box.

Barkin had abandoned the Hokey Pokey in favor of a few ballads. A lot of folks were slow dancing.

Wade was feeling a bit overwhelmed. This was probably the longest he had ever spent out in public, and he wanted to go home an hour ago, but felt it would be rude. But since the evening was no longer young, he thought it would be a good time to make an exit. He leaned over to Ron to say his goodbyes when someone appeared in his peripheral vision.

"Hey, Wade," she said lightly, "Wanna dance?

Five jaws hit the table.

"Oh!" Wade stammered, "I…gosh…I don't…"

"Oh, come on Wade, you can dance with me, can't you?" She purred.

"I…no…I mean yes…I …I don't know how to…really… I'm really sorry."

"It's a slow dance! It's really easy, I'll show you!"

And, ignoring his protests, Monique took his hand and led him out to the floor.

Wade turned to look at his friends, an expression of desperation on his flushed face.

_Help! _his eyes entreated them.

Wade's silent plea was answered with four grins and eight thumbs up.

Ron got up and hurried over to Kim.

"Hey sweetie!" She said happily, extending her hand to him, "I want you to meet Dr. Rolondo and his wife. They were my mentors at Johns Hopkins during my residency."

"Hi", Ron said pleasantly, shaking hands with both of them, "Will you excuse us for just one moment?"

Ron turned her head toward the dance floor.

"What am I looking for?" She asked, and then saw them, "No way!"

Monique was smiling and talking with Wade. Wade was staring at his own feet, concentrating all his energy on not stepping on hers. He looked like he wanted to be invisible, or at least anywhere else in the world at that moment. Not because he disliked Monique, on the contrary, he once had a crush on her. Probably still did. But Wade was in his element and most comfortable when all his friends were on the other side of a computer screen. Actually being in contact with them was something else entirely.

He was comfortable enough with Ron or the Twins, maybe a little nervous around Kim, but Monique was an entirely new realm of frightening yet marvelous experiences. She was his first crush, and now, his first slow dance. Her closeness was at once intoxicating and petrifying.

She apparently used the same shampoo as his mother.

That night, Wade's mother would catch him in her bathroom, smelling her shampoo with his eyes closed and a huge, dreamy sort of smile on his face. At first she was mildly disturbed. But then he explained everything.

"A girl? Danced with you?"

"Try not to act too surprised, mom," Wade begged her.

"Oh! My sweet baby boy!" She cried out, swooping him up in her arms and nearly squeezing him to death, "Not only did my son go out in public again, but my baby danced with a girl today!"

She went on like that for quite some time, but you get the idea.

Monique was in new territory herself. She had pretty much dated jocks exclusively going all the way back to Brick (and yes, he did hit on her that evening). Several months earlier, when her relationship with Chile Garcia – a minor league baseball player with a shot at the majors – ended like all the others did, Kim was there with the customary shoulder to cry on. It wasn't as though all her relationships ended badly. It was just that, after awhile, things would grow stale and shallow. Monique would come to discover that these guys were either dumb, or worse, too cocky for their own good. To them, Monique was just another in a long line of girlfriends, and they usually acted as though she should be grateful they were even dating her.

Kim suggested Monique set her sights some place other than the ball field. Muscles weren't what made a man, you had to dig deeper than that.

So, here she was, dancing with Wade. And though she could tell he was really awkward socially, she could also sense by his demeanor that he considered it a privilege just to be dancing with her. Monique wasn't necessarily vain, or so insecure that she needed constant emotional validation, it was just nice to be appreciated for the first time in a long time. She also knew Wade was a caring person. He had risked his life at Kim's near-wedding to Ray Beam almost seven months ago. A guy who cared that much about his friends was probably one who would care a great deal more about a loved one.

Monique was finally learning to dig deeper.

Kim took one more approving look at them, chalked up surprise number three for the evening, and then turned her attention back to the Rolondos. Ron was already chatting with them, asking all about Kim's med school years and their relationship with her. Every now and then he'd steal a quick glance back to Wade just to make sure he wasn't trying to escape or sneak away.

Monique and Wade slow danced through three songs and then she dragged him back to her table, wanting to get to know him better.

The newlyweds were just about to greet some other guests when the pavilion was filled with the sound of a helicopter swooping in low above them. Kim hurried over to her brother.

"Now what?" She asked Tim.

Tim shook his head, "It's not one of ours. I received notification of its approach a few minutes ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We had our chopper move to intercept," Tim explained, "They rendezvoused several miles out and produced all the necessary clearances, including an invitation to the wedding. I figured you knew about it."

The helicopter hovered some fifty yards off and then settled to the ground.

"Do you want us to move in?" Tim asked his sister.

"No," Kim said absently, "I suppose it's time for surprise number four. But if there are any more, I'm going home."

Ron had already moved outside, stepped into the darkness and peered at the helicopter. Then he turned, came back into the pavilion and went over to the DJ booth and whispered a couple of things to Mr. Barkin. The music was shut off once again, and Ron spoke into the microphone.

"It's OK everyone," he tried to sound authoritative, "It's not a villain, or a giant robot, or anything like that. It's an old friend of mine. We'll have the music back up in a couple of minutes."

A hush came over the guests. Ron walked back over to the side of the pavilion and prepared to welcome his newly arrived friend. Kim, extremely curious, came and stood by him.

"Who is it?" She whispered.

"You'll see," He said taking her hand and squeezing it.

The hush over the guests became an almost dead silence. The helicopter engine wound down and was still. Crickets continued to chirp, while far off, a lone coyote howled and barked at the moon.

Into the pavilion stepped an elderly Asian man with long white facial hair, bushy white eyebrows and a short white ponytail pulled up high on the back of his head. He wore a simple robe, and clogs on his feet. He was followed very closely by a young female wearing ninja garb. Kim knew them both immediately.

He was known simply as Sensei, and she had not seen him since she helped Ron rescue him more than ten years ago He still looked very much the same now as he did back then.

Yori, the young woman accompanying Sensei, looked quite a bit different than when Kim had seen her last.

Sometimes, people have a tendency to let themselves go over a lengthy period of time. They let themselves get out of shape, gain a few extra pounds, or, in the case with men, lose their hair. Sometimes life, with its worries and pressures, can wear away at a person's looks. They can become haggard, seeming to age prematurely. Even things like bitterness or discontent can have an affect on a person's appearance; they tend to develop permanent frowns, or worry lines around the eyes.

Of course, none of that was the case with Yori.

She was breathtakingly beautiful.

Even Kim gasped slightly at the sight of her, and suddenly felt like a dandelion must feel if it finds itself next to an Orchid.

Or a Lotus.

Her hair had grown long, down to the middle of her back, and was full-bodied; voluminous. Her skin was flawless, delicate, without a single noticeable blemish. Her eyes, dark as always, carried a gleam of mystery within them. She was athletically thin; healthy without looking hungry. And yet, there was still the subtlest hint of curves, visible even in her black outfit.

She stood a little behind Sensei with her hands neatly folded in front of her, and never once took her eyes off Ron.

Kim kept an eye on Yori.

"Sensei", Ron stepped forward and bowed low, "You honor us with your presence. The invitation I sent you was really more of an announcement. I did not expect you to come. I ask your forgiveness if I have caused you any inconvenience."

"Do not trouble yourself, Stoppable-San," Sensei also bowed (Yori did likewise), "I do not go where I do not wish to go. I am honored that you would consider me worthy of attending your wedding ceremony. I am only sorry that we have arrived so late."

Kim noticed Yori's brow furrowed ever so slightly when Sensei called Ron by his name, then it smoothed over once again. Otherwise, her face showed no emotion whatsoever.

_Why would she be disturbed by that?_ Kim wondered.

Then something occurred to her. During her fourth year at GCU, she and Ron had taken a film appreciation class. One of the films they studied was a masterpiece called 'The Seven Samurai' (A film which, dear reader, I consider to be one of the five greatest ever made). In order to truly appreciate the film, their class did a brief study of Japanese culture during the feudal periods. In those days – and it's a tradition that continues to this day in parts of Japan – men were addressed by their last names, followed by one of three titles that indicated that man's place in society in relation to the person speaking to him. Those three titles were 'chan', 'san', or 'sama'.

The first, 'chan', was a title given to students or young men of high stature, but a lower rank than the person addressing him. The second, 'san', was a title given to men of high stature and higher rank than those who addressed them. And finally, 'sama' was a title given to those with a very high rank in society, such as lords, military generals, or others of high social stature. Peasants were never addressed by these titles, and neither were women, since they also occupied roles of a subservient nature.

Thus, if Ron knew Sensei's true name, he would have addressed him as 'Toshimiru-sama', and Sensei would have properly called him 'Stoppable-chan'. It occurred to Kim that in the short time she had known him, she had heard Sensei only address Ron with that term of respect, and no one else.

And that is indeed what had tweaked Yori. In her long service to the old warrior, Sensei had never used the title 'san' when addressing others. It probably would have tweaked her even more if she knew that in his almost two thousand year life span, Sensei had only ever used the title with Ron.

* * *

Sensei felt a kinship with the young warrior called Stoppable. In all his time as an instructor at Yamanuchi, he had never seen one whose heart was so pure, and so free of malice toward anyone. Of course Stoppable got angry just like anyone else, but his anger never lasted, hate never took hold, and bitterness never consumed him. Like Sensei, Ron possessed the mystical monkey power known as Tai Xing Pek Wah. But Ron never used that power for his own ends, and never for evil. When necessary, Ron would tap into his powers to thwart the forces of darkness, and then the mystical monkey power would lay within him, dormant until needed again. In fact, Sensei considered it a blessing that it never even occurred to Ron to use the power for his own purposes. Truly his heart was pure, for if Ron realized the full potential of the mystical monkey power, he would become mightier than Kim Possible, perhaps even more powerful than Sensei himself. But the old warrior recognized that Ron Stoppable found happiness and fulfillment as sidekick to his best friend. 

And later, that happiness and fulfillment would be conspicuously absent when Ron came to Yamanuchi during the years after he had parted ways with Kim Possible.

Ron was one of only three people – as well as a naked mole rat – to ever possess Tai Xing Pek Wah. Ron used it sparingly, as was proper.

Another, an Englishman formerly known as Montgomery Fisk, had become a twisted, half-man/half-animal villain bent on world conquest. He was convinced the mystical monkey power was the key to global dominance. But he had not been heard from in some time. Sensei had no idea what he was up to.

The third person was Sensei himself. As a young man, he had been given the power of Monkey Kung Fu by the Shao Lin Monks of what is now known as the Mandarin Province. In the year – known by our western calendars – two hundred twenty six, Sensei, (or Toshimiru), journeyed to China to study forms of martial arts that were unknown in Japan.

He had been training in Ninjitsu in a school outside of Osaka, but his moves were clumsy and unsteadied. Unable to complete his training, and banned from the school, Toshimiru set out on his journey and eventually came under the tutelage of a group of very wise, and very ancient masters of the art of all forms of Kung Fu.

Recognizing his clumsy and awkward tendencies immediately, they decided to bestow upon him the gift of Tai Xing Pek Wah; a fighting style that utilizes the seemingly uncoordinated movements of the monkey and turns them to the user's advantage. The Monks had observed that monkeys, when swinging through trees or fighting with each other, or even dealing with a predatory invader, would move as though they were inept and clumsy, but always they would manage to snatch the branch at the last second, or thwart the invader by confusion and unerring strikes with the fist. Soon, Toshimiru demonstrated to his masters that Tai Xing Pek Wah was very powerful indeed. In time, he became as skilled as his instructors, and was able to defeat them handily in sparring matches.

When he came of age, Toshimiru bid his masters farewell and returned to Japan to complete his training in Ninjitsu.

The Monks, in the meantime, decided the mystical monkey power was indeed, too powerful to leave in the hands of other warriors whose hearts might be turned to evil. So they instilled the powers of Tai Xing Pek Wah into four statues that resembled monkey heads carved out of jade. Each of the heads was given to a different Monk who journeyed forth upon the earth in order to hide each one as far away from the others as possible.

In the meantime, Toshimiru had demonstrated to his former masters at the Osaka school his prowess with Monkey Kung Fu and they completed his training in Ninjitsu.

During the course of his training, he made an incredible discovery.

At this particular ninja school, in a secret chamber deep within the mountain, there were four ancient weapons known by the instructors as the Ohana Blades. Originally, the intent of Toshimiru's instructors was to share with him the ancient secret of the Blades' existence. The Blades had come to the school from across the ocean and were supposed to contain mystical powers. But in the hundreds of years of the Blades' residence at the school, no one had ever been able to unlock their secrets.

When Toshimiru stepped into the chamber, a Katana that was resting upon a stand at the far end of the ancient room suddenly flew through the air, hurtling straight for him. Startled, Toshimiru put his hands up in a defensive posture, a surprised yelp escaping his lips. When he opened his eyes, he found the hilt of the blade resting against his open palm. He closed his fingers about the hilt, holding the blade up before him. His instructors gathered around him in unabashed wonder.

"No one has ever seen this before," the chief instructor, Tokagawa, informed him, "You are indeed gifted with-"

The Blade suddenly transformed to a pair of Nun Chucks.

Again, his masters gasped in wonder.

"How did you do this?" Tokagawa demanded.

"I do not know," Toshimiru responded, shrugging his shoulders, "I was momentarily distracted by a bruise that has been tormenting me. Tanaka-sama injured me during a sparring match with a pair of Nun Chucks."

"You thought of Nun Chucks and these appeared," Tanaka stated.

"Yes." Toshimiru confirmed.

"Think of something else," Tokagawa suggested, "Another weapon perhaps."

"I will think of a-"

The Nun Chucks became a shorter style of Katana called a Wakizashi before Toshimiru could complete his sentence.

Tokagawa said nothing but looked thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "What of the other Blades? Do they react to you in a like manner?"

Toshimiru returned the Katana to its place, and then came back to stand near the entry of the chamber. He looked to another weapon, a Naginata, which is a short Katana-style sword on the end of a spear-length staff. Holding out his hand, the Naginata flew through the air and again, came to rest in his palm.

Nothing happened.

"I am sorry," Toshimiru said humbly, "I am thinking of all manner of weapons, but I do not seem to have the skill to control this one."

Tanaka extended his hand toward the Naginata, and then toward the Katana. Neither of them moved.

"It is clear to me these swords and your power of the monkey are connected. This is a great discovery. Do not apologize for that which you do not know." He didn't say it reassuringly, or kindly, or soothingly, he simply stated it matter-of-factly, as though he were telling Toshimiru the best way to clean a stain from his ninja outfit.

Toshimiru nodded. He had been holding the Blade aloft, as he had the Katana, but now brought it down by his side, allowing the butt of the spear shaft to strike the ground lightly.

There was a deep rumble beneath their feet. It lasted barely a second and then ceased.

The warriors all looked at each other.

Toshimiru brought the Naginata up again and this time, struck the ground a little harder with the butt end of the shaft.

Again, the earth rumbled beneath them, this time for just over two seconds.

Toshimiru looked at his companions. Tokagawa moved to the other Blades and gathered them up.

"Let us go outside, and discover what we can about these weapons." He suggested.

They all moved outside, Toshimiru still carrying the Naginata.

Outside the room was a small clearing with a large tree standing opposite the entrance to the Ohana Chamber. The men gathered around Toshimiru, who was staring oddly at the tree some thirty feet away.

Suddenly he let out a cry. His companions stepped back in alarm. Toshimiru raised the Naginata and spun it above his head. Faster and faster he spun it until, with a guttural war cry, he swung the spear in a great chopping sort of motion, slamming the blade-end of the weapon upon the ground before him.

The earth shook, the rumble turned quickly to a roar. A crack appeared in the ground in front of Toshimiru and traveled, fast as lightning, toward the tree. And, like lightning, struck the tree, shattering the trunk into kindling wood and splinters. The top of the tree fell over and crashed to the ground.

"Extraordinary," Tanaka exclaimed, "Though I heard the roar of the earth, it did not shake beneath my feet."

"Nor mine," Tokagawa put in, then turned to his pupil, "How did you know to do this?"

"It came to me," Toshimiru said truthfully, "As a thought enters the mind. Before, I did not know of this power, then it occurred to me, as a realization."

"Very interesting, now let us try another." Tokagawa picked up a staff and held it before him.

Again, Toshimiru held out his hand and again, the weapon flew to him. The staff stood about four feet tall. One half was black, and the other white with two silver bands encircling the staff at the mid point. Toshimiru placed a hand on either side of the silver bands, one on black, and one on white and pulled in opposite directions. The staff parted at the bands, revealing two Ninjato; straight ninja-style swords. He continued pulling on them until they came apart and he was holding a sword in each hand, one with a two foot black hilt and the other with a two foot white hilt. Toshimiru noticed the blades were set off-center in their hilts, while a small slit was placed next to the base of each blade. This allowed the blades to slide together, hidden away as their hilts connected in what appeared to anyone unknowing as a simple black and white staff. He held the swords before him, but nothing seemed to be happening. Then he slowly twirled the black-handled sword.

"Did you see that?" Tanaka asked, "Spin the blade faster!"

Toshimiru did as he was told. The air near the blade began to ripple, then grow dim. In the center of the radius of the blade's spin, a blackness appeared, like a dark hole in the air. It grew outward in all directions. Soon, the others could not see Toshimiru, but rather a large, darkening circle, in which it seemed even light could not pass through. Toshimiru ceased spinning the Blade and the blackness vanished immediately.

"Could you see me?" Toshimiru asked his instructors.

They shook their heads.

"Interesting," Toshimiru observed, "I could see you clearly, and yet I was aware of the darkness. Let us try this one."

He spun the white blade, but nothing seemed to happen. Then he swung it out before him, as if slashing at the air, or an invisible opponent. Bright, blinding light flashed from the blade. There was no accompanying sound, nor was there any physical effect on his companions save for the brightness. They all shielded their eyes involuntarily. When Toshimiru opened his eyes, the brightness was gone.

Then a thought occurred to him.

With a cry, he raised the Blades above him and struck them together in an 'X' formation. Light and dark burst forth and radiated outward. The light and shadow swirled, forming the brief image of the symbol for Yin and Yang, then burst forth all around them, swirling and pulsating. Each of them began to get dizzy, lose focus of the world around them, and even their balance. What they saw of the clearing became a twisted, distorted image that heaved sickeningly on its side. Again, they all closed their eyes, and again, the image – the light and the dark – vanished. Everything appeared normal once more.

"Most interesting," Tokagawa observed placidly, "And now…"

He held up the last weapon, a pair of Tanto blades; very short Katana style swords. They were mounted in an 'X' formation on a scabbard which tied to the shoulders and waist, keeping the blades on the back their wearer hilts facing upwards. Toshimiru tied on the scabbard and drew the swords from his back. He swung them around, slashed at the air, and executed several fencing maneuvers. Nothing seemed to be happening. Then he abruptly returned them to his back.

"Do they not function?" Tanaka asked.

"I believe they do," Toshimiru said, stepping to his instructor, "Do you remember the fighting style you were instructing me about yesterday? That one with the move you said could not be countered?"

"Yes." Takana replied evenly.

"Let us spar together, and I wish for you to execute that move upon me."

Without questioning why, Tanaka squared off against his student. They each threw a few punches and kicks before Tanaka employed his maneuver. Toshimiru dodged, and countered with an unexpected grapple, tossing Tanaka to the ground.

He walked over and helped his teacher to his feet, bowing low before him, "I thank you for your assistance in this discovery. I trust I did not cause you to lose face."

"He did not lose face," Tokagawa called out, "We are exploring the properties of the Ohana Blades. Have you come to a conclusion, Toshimiru-chan?"

"I believe so," the student answered, "Tanaka-sama helped me to discover the true nature of this weapon. I believe it enhances the perception and klnowledge of the one who is wearing it."

"Perception?"

"Yes. I became aware of Tanaka's vulnerabilities within a few punches. I countered him with a grapple I already knew, but would not have thought to employ in that situation."

Toshimiru paused, looking all about him, sniffing the air and listening to the birds.

"There will be a typhoon in three months. Earlier than expected." He stated.

"The Blade gave you prophecy?" Tanaka asked, visibly incredulous.

"I do not believe so," Toshimiru replied, "I know that the typhoon is coming because of the manner in which the wind is blowing, the patterns of the clouds, the types of birds that are chirping. Certain types of birds that are common to this area are not singing this evening. It is likely they have already left the area for the season. We have all seen the conditions that precede the coming of a typhoon. I believe the Blades have helped me to remember those conditions, and piece together the information I already knew."

And thus the secret powers of the Ohana Blades were discovered. The Naginata, with its powers for quaking the earth was called the 'Saboten' or 'Cactus' Blade. 'Ran' or 'Orchid' was the name of the staff of light and dark blades, while the Tanto swords that seemed to boost knowledge and perception were known as the 'Mokuren' or 'Magnolia' Blade. Chief among them was the Katana; the Lotus Blade, known in Japanese as 'Hasu'.

Toshimiru spent years studying the Blades and their functions, and became very proficient in their use. He grew in his knowledge of Ninjitsu, and eventually was made an instructor of new students that arrived at the school each year. He became very close to his teachers, and they were, for the most part, quite fond of him. He grew into a formidable warrior.

But then came a very dark day for the warrior who would one day be simply known as 'Sensei'. He had had a heated argument with Tanaka over the nature of their relationship. Tanaka was upset that Toshimiru no longer addressed him as 'Tanaka-sama' and demanded he be shown the proper respect. Toshimiru countered that he was the master of the Ohana Blades, and thus it was Tanaka who should be showing respect in their relationship. They almost came to blows, but Tokagawa broke it up, ordering them to go off alone and meditate, and to be prepared to address the issue reasonably with each other after a time.

Toshimiru stomped off sulking, and went to the Ohana Chamber to be with his precious Blades. All he could think of was throttling Tanaka, humbling him and making him beg for mercy. After a time, he began to grow angry at Tokagawa for not taking his side in the argument when clearly he was in the right. Soon, he was resenting the very existence of the school itself.

Then an idea occurred to him. He took each of the Blades and placed them in a specific pattern, remembering his calligraphy from his days with the Monks. He arranged them in the pattern that was the first symbol of the word 'Monkey'.

Suddenly, the blades dissipated, as if turning into a mist or fog. They swirled together, images of four different kinds of blossoms, and then began to meld as one. With an ear splitting roar, the mist solidified into the form of a thirty foot tall gorilla. Toshimiru uttered a fearful cry and fell to his knees, covering his head. The ape, towering above the warrior, regarded him for a moment, then turned and stomped off in the direction of the school.

They all – students and instructors alike - stood with shocked looks on their faces at the sight of a gigantic gorilla clomping toward them, each footfall accompanied by a minor earthquake that shook the buildings to their foundations.

But Tokagawa rallied them all together, called for them to each take a weapon, and called out Toshimiru's name, asking for his assistance.

The battle did not last long. Soon the monstrous gorilla stood in the ruins of the school, its instructors and students dead all around him.

After a few hours, Toshimiru crept into view of the remains of the school. The gorilla continued to stand there, unmoved and unmoving. When Toshimiru came into view, it turned and looked upon him. A spoken thought came into Toshimiru's mind.

_What is thy bidding, my Master?_

Horrified, Toshimiru realized this was the final, deadly power of the Ohana Blades. When brought together, they formed into a behemoth Gorilla with powers beyond the capabilities of even the most feared warrior, and it would do the bidding of whoever was in possession of both the Blades and the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah. He had called forth its existence, and it had rampaged through the school, acting on the murderous thoughts that had been in his head just moments before.

_Cease your existence,_ Toshimiru thought.

Instantly the giant gorilla dissipated, again as a swirling mist or fog, it separated into four distinct images of blossoms and frinally became the four Blades of the Ohana.

Toshimiru cried out in pain and grief and sank to his knees. Tears flowed freely from him as he emotionally tortured himself by reciting all the names of the instructors as well as the students who had perished as a result of his foolishness. He looked about at the destruction that was his doing, deeply ashamed of the results of his dark and murderous mind. What sad, pathetic life had his become? What waste had he wrought upon those who were closest to him? What use had he ever been to anyone?

He had progressed from student, to instructor to murderer.

(_Ron Stoppable had gone from sidekick, to fiancé, to serious liability_.)

For days, Toshimiru sat among the ruins of the school, weeping and wailing, bemoaning his very existence. He began to feel that the only way to atone for the evil he had caused was to take his own life. The idea became more and more attractive to him until it was all he could think of. At last he picked up one of the Magnolia Blades, parted his tunic so that his chest was bare, and readied to plunge the weapon into his own heart.

_Do not apologize for that which you do not know._

The words Tanaka had spoken years before rang out in his head as though Tanaka had spoken them himself.

_It is clear to me these swords and your power of the monkey are connected. This is a great discovery._

The blade stood poised to rend the life from Toshimiru.

_Do not apologize for that which you do not know._

Again the tears came forth.

_Tanaka-sama._

It began to rain.

_Please forgive me, my brother. I did not know._

It began to downpour.

_Tanaka-sama._

It coursed over him; mixing, diluting, and finally washing the tears from his face, and still the sobs poured forth as the torrent fell upon him. Toshimiru felt as if he was drowning in his own regret.

_I'm so sorry._

He dropped the blade and turned his face to the sky. He let out a long, pitiful, grievous wail, his arms outstretched.

_Forgive me my masters, my teachers… my brothers._

Toshimiru spent weeks burying his comrades and mentors. Then he set fire to the remains of the school, to stand forever as a pyre to their memory. He did not even stay long enough to watch the flames die out. He gathered up the Blades of the Ohana, and what little provisions he could carry, and set out.

His journey, of course, took him to the peak of Mt. Yamanuchi many weeks later. This would be his penance, his atonement for the inadvertent evil he had inflicted upon the earth. He would found a school, and teach young minds the ways of ninjitsu, just as his masters had taught him. He would do this as long as Whoever controlled the universe allowed him to live.

Upon arrival, he carefully placed each of the Blades in a sheltered crag in the side of the mountain. Then he picked up the Lotus Blade, transformed it into a sort of pick-axe, and began to carve.

* * *

"Please don't apologize", Ron begged his former master, "I am deeply touched that you are here." 

Then he turned his eyes to the beautiful young woman wearing the black ninja outfit.

"Hello, Yori," He said affably, "What's it been, like, four years?"

_Four years?_ Kim didn't really need to do the math, _So he did see her at Yamanuchi after we broke up? Why didn't he ever tell me? Come to think of it, why didn't I ever ask? Guess I didn't want him to think I would go all jel._

"Greetings, Stoppable-san," Yori said softly, taking her eyes off him only to bow. When she straightened up, she continued gazing at him.

"And Kim Possible," Sensei continued, turning to her and bowing again, "You look more radiant than the Lily when it is newly in bloom."

She blushed, "Thank you, Sensei."

"Forgive me," Sensei continued, "I am unfamiliar with American customs. Are you still known as Kim Possible, or have you taken your husband's name?"

"Well, as a matter of fact…"

Kim chattered away to Sensei. Ron stood by but wasn't listening. He was distracted. He realized he hadn't told Kim the entire story of his training at Yamanuchi. And how he had left out what was clearly a very important detail escaped him. He looked from his wife to his former master. But invariably his gaze settled upon Yori. Their eyes locked, and he could not tell what she was thinking. Right then, he would have given almost anything to know what she was thinking.

* * *

"Stoppable-san… Ron… How is it you do not know that I love you?" 


	4. III

Author's note: I'll be very busy this week, and won't be able to post another chapter until Friday at the earliest. So I made this one a little long. Read slowly.

Many thanks to: LKillingsworth, Jezrianna2.0, Spooks-A-Lot, JPMod, kemiztri, aimtbj, Cold-Chaos, recon228, Willk1989, PotenialBoy, Sand Lord, Sestren NK, Jokerisdaking, qtpie235, WidowShark, and all who are reading.

Part of this chapter takes place on a mountain top, and I wanted to note that it's an homage, or shout out, to a story by faithful reader 'recon228' called "Kim Possible: Bailout", about how Kim and Ron are stranded in the Sierras. Check it out, leave some reviews, and maybe he'll finish it when he's not too busy protecting the rest of our sorry butts from crime.

Curious about Yori…?

* * *

III

* * *

"What?" 

"Did you not hear me?"

"Yeah," Ron said, not knowing what to think, "I heard you. I'm just having a hard time believing you would pick this time and place to tell me."

She cast her eyes downward, "I was not sure if we would come away from this place alive. I felt I should inform you of my feelings before either of us was lost."

"Oh, come on," Ron protested, "Things aren't that bad. Let's try and keep a little optimism here!"

But Ron didn't believe it himself. Things certainly did appear to be that bad.

"I am sorry," Yori said, hanging her head, "I have dishonored you. I know your love belongs to another."

Ron didn't say anything. Yori stood up and stepped out into the rain.

They were stranded on a rocky outcropping near the peak of Mount Ishiku. They had climbed up this far, hoping to reach the peak and escape over the ridge, but had run into an impassible rock face. The rain forced them to seek shelter. The outcropping was graced by a slight overhang that allowed them to huddle together, just barely sheltered from the elements. Well, there wasn't much protection from the wind, but at least they were able to stay relatively dry.

Yori stood at the edge of the outcropping and gazed down the cliff face. The enemy was somewhere below, unseen, hidden by the mist. But they _were_ there. She folded her hands in front of her and bowed her head, her eyes closed.

"Yori, come back in here," Ron called from the shelter.

"No," Yori said emphatically, "I have shamed us both. Better to die at the hands of the enemy now than face you."

"OK," Ron said, standing up with some difficulty. The bruises about his face and upper torso were still fresh and it hurt to move. "Let's reduce the angst levels a little. I think we're in enough of a tight spot that we don't need to go all drama ninja on each other."

He stepped out into the rain, not realizing just how warm and dry he was under the overhang. The rain hit him like a shower that once might have had a brief relationship with a water heater, but had forgotten what it was like. He walked over to the edge, took her by the arm, and led her back to the rocky shelter.

From far below came a distant, taunting cry, "Outsider! I know you are up there!"

It was late autumn. Ron was nearing the end of the second year of his training at Yamanuchi. Every year about that time, Sensei allowed the school to close down for two weeks so the students could spend time with their families and loved ones. The students and instructors eagerly took advantage of the vacation and the school was deserted, save for three people; Ron, Yori, and Sensei himself.

Sensei always used the time to meditate in a tiny room, high on a cliff above the school. He always went up there the day after the break began, and never came back until the morning the school was to resume the new session. He had made it clear over the years – over the centuries, in fact – that he was not to be disturbed by anyone for any reason. Rumor had it that Sensei had once expelled a student just for knocking on the door. It wasn't true of course but Sensei allowed to rumor to flourish because it gave him his much wanted privacy.

Ron had briefly considered returning to Middleton during the break, but wasn't sure he could face anyone, especially Kim or his parents. The longer he stayed at the school, the more he realized what a huge mistake he'd made in walking away from Kim. It had been almost two years since that day he left her, sitting in the hospital room with a look of fearful disbelief on her face. How could he have been so cold? And how could he have been so stupid as to think breaking off their engagement, their relationship, any contact with each other was the solution? It occurred to him recently that she probably had gone forward with the hero work. And if she had, then was she any safer with him gone?

Ron realized his decision to part ways with Kim was born more out of self-pity than common sense. And this realization only caused him to sink further into depression. No, he wouldn't go home during the break. Worse than seeing Kim again would be finding out she had gone on with her life, and was probably in a relationship with someone else. He wasn't sure how he'd react to that kind of news. Ron kept in contact with his parents via regular mail, but always asked them not to relate any Middleton news to him. They respected his request.

Yori had no loved ones or relatives to go home to. She had never known her mother, and her father had once been a student at Yamanuchi. He worked as a mercenary, hiring out his skills as a ninja to anyone who was willing to pay. One of his missions, however, had gone bad, and he lost his life. His final Will and Testament directed that Yori, who was four years old at the time, be sent to Yamanuchi to learn the skills of her father. She became a ward of the school, and though most of her daily care was undertaken by the other instructors, Yori came to see Sensei as her father figure.

When Ron arrived at the school two years ago, Yori's heart leaped within her. He had come to stay for some time, and when Sensei asked after Kim Possible's well being, Ron could only mumble a dejected response.She guessed he had been deeply in love with Kim, but it had ended between them.

Yorihad once tried to express her feelings to Ron four years before that.

She had kissed him on the cheek, in front of Kim Possible no less, and admonished him for his "American style misunderstanding of girls."

Then Sensei summoned her and they climbed aboard the Ninjacopter.

Hoping the message had gotten across, she waved to him from the cockpit of the departing aircraft, silently pledging her undying love to him.

She shared her feelings with no one, of course, and so the love grew within her. It was entirely probable that part of the reason she loved him was that Sensei had shown a sincere fondness for him. In her whole life, she had never heard Sensei address anyone with the term of respect he had bestowed upon Ron. Of course, she called him "Stoppable-san", because in modern day Japan, that was the custom of showing courtesy to an acquaintance or a stranger. The term had evolved into Japan's equivalent of "Mr.", "Miss", or even "Sir" or "Ma'am". But Yori knew that Sensei called him "Stoppable-san" because he deeply respected the young warrior. Sure, she was a little jealous of the honor and attention he showed to Ron, but it also made her see Ron in a light that went well beyond friendship.

She decided to keep her distance when he arrived at the school. Clearly he was troubled, though he refused to talk about why. Yori knew that if she threw herself at him too early, then her chance at a relationship with him would vanish. She didn't want a Ron on the rebound. She had waited this long, she could wait a little longer. She bore no malice toward Kim Possible. In fact, she respected the feisty teen hero who had been so instrumental in helping her rescue Sensei. But if Kim Possible could not see the true worth of Ron Stoppable, Yori could hardly be held to account for her own feelings.

Since Yori was the only person Ron knew at Yamanuchi – besides Sensei of course – they spent quite a lot of time together. Mostly they would engage in sparring matches with each other, hone their moves, and so forth. There had been one tense exchange between them early on, when Ron was given the task of chopping and stacking firewood for the coming winter. The chopping block, ironically enough, was the stump of that same tree he had knocked over years before, sending it crashing into a building that had taken Toshimiru some twelve years to construct. Yori found him, and asked if he would be done soon, so they could practice a few newly-learned fighting styles on each other.

"It would go a lot faster if you helped," he replied curtly.

"Oh Stoppable-san!" she laughed lightly, "Your American humor is so amusing. Naturally it will be your honor to-."

"Whoa!" He barked, burying the axe in the chopping block and stepping up to her, "Let's get something clear right up front. I know you've been able to get me to do grunt work in the past by telling me it would be my honor, but that ends today. Either help me with this task, or it should be _your_ honor to wait patiently… and quietly… until I'm finished."

Yori looked hurt, but said nothing. Ron ignored her and returned to his work. She stood there, hands clasped in front of her for a time, then quietly began picking up the chopped pieces and carrying them to the woodpile.

At dinner that evening, she sat silently next to him, never looking at him, or anyone else. Her eyes were cast downward.

They ate in silence as the others at the table finished their meals and departed. Soon, they were the only ones left in the room. Yori had long since finished her meal, but continued to sit there, waiting for Ron to finish his, unsure of what to say to him.

He spoke first.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

She looked up at him, tears brimming in her eyes.

"It is I who must apologize, Stoppable-san. You were right. I used honor as a means to manipulate your actions in the past. I ask your forgiveness." She was whispering by the end of her sentence.

"It's cool," He said putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze, "And would you please just call me Ron?"

"I will try," she said, smiling and blinking back her tears.

"Why don't we go spar before the evening training session?" He suggested, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

"I would like that very much," She answered, accepting his hand.

The months went by, Ron and Yori spent most of their free time together, and they became very close. Thoughts of Kim began to recede into the back of his mind, and his demeanor grew more cheerful as time went on. They both worked hard in their training, though Ron's clumsiness was something of an impediment to his. Sensei was patient, which surprised Yori. She had seen Sensei send other potential students away without training who had far more skill than Ron. Perhaps Sensei was grateful to Ron for saving her and the Lotus Blade. She did not know for sure.

That first year passed and ran on into the second. Yori was becoming very skilled in the ways of the ninja. Ron struggled, but kept at it.

Then came the autumn break of that second year. Even the instructors were gone; home to their families or just taking the opportunity to spend time outside the school. Ron and Yori were compelled to fend for themselves during mealtimes. Yori enjoyed preparing meals for the both of them. She also enjoyed the feeling of solitude at the school. Preparing the meals was giving her an idea of what domestication with Ron Stoppable might be like.

In other words, she was playing 'house'.

Naturally her feelings for him grew.

One evening, he offered to prepare the meal for them. The food he set before her was not only delicious, but pleasing to the eye; something very highly valued in Japanese society.

Yori fell deeply in love with him.

They ate in relative silence, until he asked how she liked her meal. She decided then and there to confess her feelings for him.

"Ron", she said shyly, "I-"

A noise outside.

Both of them turned to look at the door. She was on her feet before Ron was. Something was amiss. No one was supposed to return until the end of autumn break and Sensei certainly would not have come down from his high perch so early. Silently she moved to the door and peered out.

Then she turned to Ron and motioned him to join her.

Ron crept over to her and, as quietly as he could, peeked his head out the door. Darkness enveloped most of the outer courtyard. Only two or three lanterns were lit. Sensei disapproved of the use of electricity, preferring to keep the school as much in its original state of being as it ever was. Wind moved the leaves about the darkened space outside, and other than the rustling noise they made, all was silent.

Then, into his field of vision crept a dark figure. It had been lurking in the shadows near the outer wall, but was now making its way toward Sensei's empty quarters. Yori touched Ron's arm and pointed silently to a space on the top of the outer wall. There, lined up neatly in a row, staring intently after the creeping figure, were fifteen monkeys dressed in ninja garb. Ron stepped away from the door and pulled Yori inside after him.

"Monkey fist?" He whispered.

"It would seem so," She confirmed, "I was under the impression he was still hiding from-"

"The Gorilla his dreams?" Ron interjected with a smirk.

"Now is not the time for jokes," she whispered, "especially puns as awful as that."

"One of us needs to distract the monkey ninjas while the other one goes for Monkey Fist," Ron whispered.

Yori pulled her fan blades from somewhere among the folds of her tunic.

"I will deal with the monkey ninjas-" She began.

"Let me guess," he interrupted, "It will be my honor to take on Monkey Fist?"

"I think it would be best for you to deal with Monkey Fist, since you possess the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah, as he does." She whispered testily.

"Oh," Ron whispered sheepishly, "OK, got it."

Yori leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, "Be careful…Ron."

Ron felt an odd sensation. Certainly he was attracted to Yori, and she did seem to still like him. But where he would have eagerly jumped at the opportunity at a relationship with her six years ago, now seemed, well, not _wrong_ necessarily, but somehow improper. He supposed it was a result of unresolved issues regarding Kim. Somewhere deep within him burned a fire that would only offer warmth to Kim Possible. Either he needed to quench that fire, or find some way to bring her near it.

Ron thought abstractly about the possibility that he and Kim were bound together by destiny. Certainly Sensei seemed to believe in such things. Among his instructions to the students at Yamanuchi was the solemn advice not to turn one's back on one's own destiny. Ron didn't necessarily like the idea that he might not have a say in the course of his life; that he might not possess free will. As if reading his mind, Sensei assured the group of students that it was indeed possible to turn aside from one's destiny, or one could exercise his free will and choose to stay on the path. Destiny and Free Will, Sensei instructed them, existed simultaneously. One was not a greater force than the other, though it might seem that way, since a person does have to choose which path he will take.

Ron looked back at the relationships he'd had in his short life. He realized he was very attracted to strong women. There was Kim, of course, and Yori who, though demure, possessed an obvious inner strength. And there was Zita Flores; she also was a strong, independent-minded female. He remembered finding out that Tera had been attracted to him, and though he initially reacted as if he were upset, he realized he had been clueless about Tera because she didn't possess the type of strength that would have drawn him to her.

Then, of course, there was that relationship he had with Violet Parr over the summer between his Junior and Senior years in high school. Turned out she had a secret superhero identity, but also had a very timid sort of personality. In the course of their summer romance, Ron watched her bloom into a very strong, very beautiful young woman. They had even thwarted a couple of villains together! Violet told Ron she drew her strength from him, and it was thanks to his influence that she was able to become a full fledged superhero in the course of time. Their relationship ended amicably when Violet felt she needed to concentrate more on her hero work, and the upcoming school year. Ron understood perfectly.

And Kim.

What of the relationships in _her_ life? There was Mankey and Walter Nelson, both relationships seemed to go nowhere. In addition, there was Syntho-drone number 901, otherwise known as Eric.

It seemed the only real, long-lasting relationship she and Ron ever had was with each other. Was destiny really playing a part in-

Screeching from outside. Yori had ambushed the monkey ninjas.

Ron sprinted outside and around the corner toward Sensei's quarters. He surprised the thief who already had the Lotus Blade in his hands.

It was Fukushima.

"Outsider!" He growled, and slashed at him with the Blade.

Ron uttered a startled yelp and dropped into a kind of crab stance, his hands and feet on the ground, belly facing the sky. The blade missed him by just a few inches. Ron let his arms fold and rolled over backward, thrusting his legs up, half-somersaulting and landing on his feet, facing his old rival.

Fukushima had been expelled from Yamanuchi for his treachery years before. Worse still for him was his humiliating defeat at the hands of Ron Stoppable. He spent a few years drifting about, the only purpose in his life being that of vengeance. He sought out Monkey Fist, and wished to place himself under the villain's tutelage. But Fist was nowhere to be found. In his search, he came across the dejected remnants of Monkey Fist's private army of monkey ninjas. They needed a leader. He needed a purpose. So he spent years training with them, learning their ways, while they studied his. He decided his first undertaking with his new monkey minions was to steal the Lotus Blade from Yamanuchi, and bring it to Monkey Fist in order to garner the villain's favor.

He surmised the best time to strike would be during autumn break, when the school would be all but abandoned, and Sensei would be too far away to deal with him. Finding Stoppable here was a bitterly unpleasant surprise.

"I can't allow you to take the Blade, dude," Ron said, sounding much more nervous than he would have liked Fukushima to hear.

"And how do you think you will stop me, Outsider?" He sneered.

Ron held up his hand, "Here…uh… Lotus. C'mere boy!"

The sword wrenched itself painfully from Fukushima's grasp and flew to Ron. Ron missed it and it clattered to the stone paving of the courtyard behind him. Ron turned and threw himself to the ground, diving for the Blade as Fukushima howled with pain and rage behind him.

"Monkey ninjas!" he bellowed, "Retrieve the Lotus Blade!"

Instantly the monkeys scampered away from Yori and moved in on Ron. Ron sprang to his feet and for a moment, squared off against the monkeys. But there were too many of them, and Fukushima was behind him. Ron leaped and rolled away from the group just before the money ninjas set upon him. Yori sprinted over to join him.

"Go", she ordered, "Protect the Blade. I will hold them off."

"I won't leave you h-"

"GO! NOW!" Yori practically screamed.

Ron turned, his route to the gate was cut off, so he leaped and struggled over the wall. Landing painfully on the other side, he frantically searched for some sort of escape route. Muffled growls and screeches were heard coming from the other side of the wall. Ron panicked and ran along the wall to the gate and peeked inside. The battle still raged within, but one of the monkeys spied Ron and raised the alarm.

Ron, still panicked, turned and sprinted across the flimsy rope-and-board bridge that spanned the chasm between Yamanuchi and the next peak over. Running was difficult because the bridge swayed and rocked with every footfall.

Suddenly, sickeningly, his stomach did somersaults as the bridge dropped away beneath him.

"Farewell, Outsider!" He heard Fukushima call out behind him.

Ron plummeted into the chasm, losing his grip on the Lotus Blade. His mind went blank with fear. There was a river below, but he knew with certainty he would not survive the fall.

Suddenly, with a thud, he was snatched out of the air by Yori, who had swung down into the chasm using her claw and chain. How she managed to find him in the dark, Ron could never guess, though he suspected she zeroed in on his blood-curdling scream. Midway through the arc of their swing, the claw came loose and they fell, plunging into the frothing waters of the river below.

Water found its way into Ron's lungs. He came up choking and gasping for air, tumbling through rapids and bashing into huge, sharp rocks. Still unable to breathe, he felt consciousness leaving him as the current forced him beneath the surface again.

Ron Stoppable knew no more.

When he awoke, coughing and spluttering, he was vaguely aware that Yori had her lips pressed against his, breathing air into his lungs. His body was still half in the water, the roar of the river in his ears. It was pitch black, though he could see the outline of Yori's head against the star-filled sky.

"Are you all right, Stoppable-san?" she asked, audibly relieved.

Ron tried to answer but went into a fit of coughing. He rolled over and allowed what water was left in his lungs to dribble out. His throat felt raw, his lungs were on fire, and his body was bruised and battered. He decided that however his life would eventually end, he most definitely did not want it to end by drowning.

Yori helped him struggle to his feet.

"We need to get out of here," he croaked, his voice hoarse and gravelly.

"Quick," Yori exclaimed, "Call the Blade to you and we will make our way back to the school."

"No," Ron said bluntly, "Fukushima is up there. He'll be waiting for us, and he thinks I still have the Blade. No doubt he saw you snag me out of the air."

"Then what-?"

"Wherever the Blade is, it's safe for now. As long as Fukushima thinks we have it, he will pursue us. We need to lead him away from the school and make our way to a town or something. He'll stop chasing after us if we can get to, like, a police station. Then when we return, I'll call the Blade to me and return it to Sensei."

"The nearest town is beyond that ridge," Yori indicated, pointing off in the distance.

Even in the dark, Ron could tell it was quite a ways off. It would be daylight before they would even begin climbing up the ridge. How could such a crowded country have so much open space?

"Shall we begin?" She asked.

Ron took a longing look at the warm, inviting lights of Yamanuchi far above him.

"I don't suppose it would be your honor to carry me," He asked dryly.

He couldn't see her, but she smiled warmly. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it ever so lightly.

"If I had such power within me, I would, Stoppable-san…Ron." She said softly.

They set out.

Day dawned cold and cloudy. They had begun climbing an hour ago. Though the climbing kept them relatively warm, the hunger pangs were very distracting. Mist swirled about them, so they stayed very close so as not to lose sight of each other.

Several more hours of climbing brought them to the rocky outcropping which they now found themselves trapped upon. After almost an hour of searching, they found no way to climb up the sheer rock face.

They turned to make their way back down the mountain when a nefariously cheerful voice came drifting up to them.

"Outsider! Where are you, Outsider!"

They scrambled back up on to the outcropping. Because the mountain was shrouded in mist, they had no way of knowing exactly where Fukushima was, and any route they used to descend might take them straight to him. There was no telling what he would do when he discovered they no longer had the Lotus Blade with them.

Then the rain came.

They huddled together under the overhang. At least Fukushima's progress would be slowed or halted. Every now and then they would hear his voice drift up to them, mocking them and telling them he had a nice warm fire going. All they had to do was come down and warm themselves with it. As if to drive home the point, and make them suffer, they soon smelled the smoke of a campfire. Where he got the wood, how he was able to light a fire in the rain, and any number of other questions went unanswered. Fukushima and his army of monkey ninjas had lain siege to Mount Ishiku.

They sat back to back, drawing as much warmth from each other as they could. Ron began to grow drowsy. He thought at first he might have been dreaming when he heard her softly whisper:

"I love you."

"Huh? Did you say something?" He asked, rousing himself.

She became slightly agitated, "Stoppable-san… Ron… How is it you do not know that I love you?"

"What?"

"Did you not hear me?"

"Yeah," Ron said, not knowing what to think, "I heard you. I'm just having a hard time believing you would pick this time and place to tell me."

She cast her eyes downward, "I was not sure if we would come away from this place alive. I felt I should inform you of my feelings before either of us was lost."

"Oh, come on," Ron protested, "Things aren't that bad. Let's try and keep a little optimism here!"

But Ron didn't believe it himself. Things certainly did appear to be that bad.

"I am sorry," Yori said, hanging her head, "I have dishonored you. I know your love belongs to another."

Ron didn't say anything. Yori stood up and stepped out into the rain.

"Yori, come back in here," Ron called from the shelter.

"No," Yori said emphatically, "I have shamed us both. Better to die at the hands of the enemy now than face you."

"OK," Ron said, standing up with some difficulty, "Let's reduce the angst levels a little. I think we're in enough of a tight spot that we don't need to go all drama ninja on each other."

He walked over to the edge, took her by the arm, and led her back to the overhang.

From far below came a distant, taunting cry, "Outsider! I know you are up there!"

Ron walked to the edge and glared down into the mist, "Dude, will you SHUT UP? Get over yourself already! We're trying to have an important conversation up here!"

She stood gazing at him in the rain. Both of them were soaked to the skin, but neither of them noticed.

"Yori, I… I don't know what to say." Ron stammered.

"Have you not noticed the effort I make to spend so much time with you?" She pleaded.

And it all suddenly seemed to fall into place. Yori wasn't exactly raised in an environment where people shared their feelings with each other. He realized she had been trying her hardest to send him a message without actually telling him. He further realized it must have taken a life threatening situation in order for her to open up to him.

No question Yori was a kind, caring, stunningly beautiful woman. Ron certainly was attracted to her, and he was just as surprised as before to learn she had feelings for him. In hindsight, her devotion to him – her constant, almost fawning attention – had lessened the pain of missing Kim over the last two years. Though he did not love Yori, at least not like that, he certainly had very deep feelings for her.

His face softened, and she saw the conflict within him. She took a tentative step forward.

Almost before he realized it, she was in his arms, kissing him eagerly, passionately, fiercely. She pressed herself against him, her arms entwining themselves about his neck. Overcome with a rush of emotion, he returned her kiss. The world seemed to fall away from them, almost as if it were retreating to a respectful distance. The rain coursed over them, running down their faces, dripping from their hair, or their clothes, or their noses. They paused briefly, looking into each others eyes; their noses less than an inch from each other. Though he was smiling at her, she saw pain, grief, and a yearning for someone else in his eyes. In hers, Ron saw a deep longing, an almost desperate need to be loved. Then they plunged themselves into another kiss. His arms wrapped around her tightly, as if trying to draw her closer to him, though it was physically impossible to get any closer than they were now.

"What a touching display!" mocked a voice behind Ron.

Ron's training was not entirely lost on him. Ninjitsu was beginning to find its way into his instincts. He was startled, as was she, but without hesitating, he pushed Yori away from him, dropped to a crouch and spun, kicking Fukushima's legs out from under him.

Fukushima hit the rocky surface with a surprised grunt. Monkey ninjas swarmed up over the edge of the outcropping. Yori brought out her fan blades and set to work. Ron drove a fist into the nearest monkey, then blocked three attempts to bring him down by Fukushima. It was the first time they had fought since that day in the snows near Yamanuchi. Ron had had quite a bit more training since then, and Fukushima pitifully realized he was overmatched.

Every punch he threw, Ron blocked. Every kick, Ron dodged. In frustration and rage, Fukushima charged at him, head down. Ron stepped aside at the last second, crouched, and brought himself up under Fukushima's charge. He was flipped neatly, almost effortlessly, into the air, and came crashing down on three monkey ninjas.

Yori blocked, kicked, dodged, and punched her way out of the group of monkey ninjas and made her way over to Ron's side. Fukushima struggled to his feet, while the monkey ninjas surrounded them, lining the edge of the outcropping.

"BOO!" Ron suddenly lunged toward the nearest group of monkeys. Instinctively they took a step backward and tumbled down the side of the mountain.

Seeing this, several more monkey ninjas retreated.

Ron squared off with his old rival.

"Got some news for you, Genius-san," Ron teased, "We don't have the Lotus Blade. It's been safely returned to the school. Now who's the outsider?"

Fukushima looked wildly about. He could not see the Blade anywhere, and it would have been impossible to hide in their clothes. He clenched his fists, and bellowed at Ron in a rage, his eyes barely open.

I do not know why villains so often do this.

As Ron suddenly realized, all of Fukushima's attention was focused on his own anger. His face was thrust forward in a grimace of burning wrath. Ron reared back and drove his fist into it as hard as he could. Fukushima stumbled backward, losing his footing, and was about to tumble off the ledge when Ron lunged forward, grabbed Fukushima by the belt, and pulled, which kept him from falling. Ron had dealt with enough villains in his life to know that Fukushima would not be grateful for having his life saved, and thus never let his guard down. In fact, he didn't even hesitate. Still pulling on Fukushima's belt, Ron stooped and rolled on to his back, bringing his legs up. Fukushima was catapulted off of Ron and slammed, upside down, against the rock face beneath the overhang. He crumpled up in a heap.

Ron continued rolling backward, rolling himself up into a handstand, from which he twisted, landing on his feet to face Fukushima.

"BOOYAH!" He bellowed in furious triumph, "It is my honor to defeat you…again!"

The remaining monkey ninjas retreated in a panic. What they had just seen in Ron they wanted no part of. Their old master, Montgomery Fisk, had the same powers as this young warrior had, but that power clearly favored the latter. Screeching and wailing, they disappeared into the mist.

Fukushima unconscious, Yori beamed at him and flew into his arms. Again, they relished the sensations of each other, but Ron pulled away earlier than she would have liked him to.

"Don't want to get caught twice in the same net," Ron said lightly.

For in instant, he sounded just like Sensei, using an abstract philosophical statement to describe his feelings or the situation. It struck her as a little odd.

That evening, when they returned to Yamanuchi, Ron had the Lotus Blade in one hand, and Yori's hand in the other. He felt better than he had in a long time. Though he was not in love with Yori, he felt a deep affection for her, and was content to allow himself to have a relationship with her. Inside, he felt a little guilty that he might be leading her on, and there were still those distant, muffled feelings for Kim. But today he was the conquering hero, returning home after a great victory with a fellow warrior. Today he would revel in his success.

They were surprised to find Sensei waiting for them at the gate. He had sensed something the night before, and had come down from his high place to investigate. He observed their affection for each other without reaction or comment, and listened very carefully to their story.

They had left an unconscious Fukushima up on the mountain. At some point he would awaken and find his way down. But with his monkey ninja army having abandoned him, it was unlikely he would make another attempt to steal the Lotus Blade that day.

Sensei bowed to both of them; a sign of respect, "You have both saved the Lotus Blade once again. We will celebrate your victory with a feast when the other students return to the school."

"Thank you, Sensei," they both said.

"Um…" Ron began, "You don't think we could have a little bit of that feast now, do you? We haven't had anything to eat since last night."

Sensei nodded slightly, "Please follow me."

And, to their astonishment, Sensei prepared and cooked a lavish meal for them in an ancient Japanese style, after which he favored them with a tea ceremony. If you have never experienced a Japanese tea ceremony, it is something I highly recommend. Neither Ron, nor Yori forgot that night for a long time.

There was still a week left before the students returned to the school. Sensei went back to his room high up on the mountain, and Ron and Yori enjoyed their time alone together to the fullest. They laughed, and talked, and ate together. They repaired the bridge, and celebrated by standing on it that evening, watching the sun set. They kissed until long after the moon came up. Those were probably the happiest days Yori could remember, and Ron enjoyed a respite from the emotions that had been churning within him over the past two years. On the last night before the students returned, Yori favored Ron with her own tea ceremony. She wore a beautiful silk kimono, colored a deep emerald green with the image of a blue fox emblazoned across the back. She bade Ron relax while she served him. Ron enjoyed the ceremony, but couldn't take his eyes off the back of her kimono.

The next morning, Sensei returned from his retreat and summoned Yori to his quarters.

"It is my intention that you should become an instructor at this school," He said impassively.

Her eyes lit up. But after the fashion of her master, she showed no other emotion.

"Thank you Sensei," She bowed, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Therefore, in order to become well versed in the various fighting styles, you will go to China, to the Mandarin Province, and study under the Shao Lin Monks there." Again there was no emotion in his voice.

Yori's heart sank into her feet. Dimly, a hope burned within her that perhaps he might not send her until next year. But she new her master better than that.

"When am I to go?" She asked, unable to keep the trembling out of her voice.

"Tomorrow morning."

"But master-!" She could no longer contain herself.

"Did I not tell you years ago that Stoppable-san's destiny lies along a different path than yours?" He did not sound angry, simply matter-of-fact, "It seems you chose not to believe me."

"I believed you, master," she sobbed, "But when Ro- when Stoppable-san came to the school, I thought perhaps you might have been mistaken."

"You _hoped_ I might have been mistaken," He corrected her, not unkindly, "When I told you your path was to be different from his, I did not tell you everything. It was my intention to spare your feelings, but it seems in _that_ I was mistaken. Stoppable-san's destiny lies with Kim Possible. I have seen this with my own eyes."

"You have foreseen this?" She asked, confused.

"No," He said evenly, "I do not possess the gift of prophecy."

She couldn't understand what he meant, but he did not volunteer any more information. Briefly, she considered quitting the school, and asking Ron to go with her. But she knew he would refuse. She knew he did not love her the way she loved him, and she had been hoping that with time, he would come around. Now that time was taken away from her.

Yori bowed her head as silent tears flowed down her cheeks. Sensei sat patiently and allowed her emotions to take their course. At last she looked back up at him with pain-filled, glistening eyes, but said nothing.

"Speak, my daughter," he said, quietly, "Ask your question."

It was the first time the old warrior had ever called her that; the first time he had ever called anyone by a term of endearment.

"May Stoppable-san escort me to the airport?"

"I will allow that," he conceded.

Yori bowed, then stood up and exited his quarters.

Yori spent a miserable day packing her things. She and Ron ate a quiet evening meal together. Yori came to regret asking for Ron to take her to the airport, it turned out to be much more of a painful experience for her than she thought it might. Ron was very supportive, telling her she'd do well under the Monks' tutelage and promised to write to her often (a promise he kept for as long as he was at the school).

Yori and Ron shared a final salty, tear-stained kiss at the airport before she went to the gate.

Back at Yamanuchi, Ron stood proudly, if with a little sadness in his heart, as Sensei presented him with a real Lotus flower from his own garden, in a ceremony. He was cheered on by his fellow students.

"You have done very well for yourself, Stoppable-san…"

* * *

"…and I am pleased with the man you have become." All of the wedding guests were gathered around in a large semi-circle, watching with rapt attention as Sensei gave them their wedding gift. 

At the clap of his hands, the two ninja pilots appeared and set up a small, low table, and cushions for the bride and groom to sit on. Then they produced a tray with neatly arranged flowers, two small cups, and a teapot.

Sensei performed, to the utter fascination of the guests, a particular tea ceremony reserved for newly married couples. It was called, simply, the Bonding Ceremony. Sensei served them both and bade them to drink while he arranged flowers in a specific pattern between them. At the end of the ceremony, he took two white orchids, and handed one to Ron, while delicately placing the other in Kim's hair. After they sipped their tea, he had them trade cups, and drink once more.

Yori assisted in the ceremony, again, never once taking her eyes off Ron.

When the ceremony was completed, Sensei clapped his hands twice. The ninja pilots came in and retrieved the tray, but they left the table, the cushions, and the ornate tea set as a wedding gift.

As Sensei prepared to leave, Ron and Kim eagerly brought their parents over to meet the old warrior. He was pleased that they would want him to meet their mothers and fathers, and told them they should take great pride in their children.

Ron made to escort Sensei to the helicopter, but as he turned to go, Sensei asked to speak to Kim alone.

Kim and Sensei stepped out into the night, a short distance away from the pavilion.

"I can't thank you enough, Sensei", Kim bubbled, "Your gift was the highlight of the reception."

"It is my pleasure," Sensei responded, "But now I am afraid I must ask something of you."

"Of course," Kim replied.

"One day soon, I will call upon you during an hour of great need. I need your promise that you will come to me, regardless of your circumstances."

Kim felt a rush of adrenaline. Whatever the old warrior wanted, it was serious. She felt she could not say no to him. "I promise," she said evenly.

Sensei simply nodded and turned back toward the pavilion.

Inside, Yori had sidled up to Ron, "You are looking well, Stoppable-san."

Startled, Ron turned to look at her, and then sighed, "Thanks, Yori. You look quite well yourself."

"Stoppable-san, there is something-"

"I am afraid that now we must go," Sensei said, stepping into the pavilion.

Kim and Ron escorted them to the helicopter.

"Sensei, thank you so much for coming. You've given us a memory to last our whole lives." Ron called above the noisy engine of the aircraft.

Sensei turned to face them. He balled his right hand into a fist, placed it over his heart, and then extended two fingers, "It is all good."

They watched as the helicopter lifted off and flew out of sight.

"Kim", Ron began hesitantly, "There' something I forgot to tell you about my time at Yamanuchi."

"Not tonight, Ron," She turned to him, "This is my wedding night. We'll talk about it later."

Ron could tell she was upset at the mention of Yori.

It had grown late, and some of the guests were beginning to leave.

"Oh," Kim said with some disappointment, "We never got to dance to our song."

"I forgot all about that!" Ron said, smacking his forehead. He ran inside the pavilion to talk to Barkin.

"Stoppable!" Barkin greeted him, "I'm out of here. I've never been to a reception where blue guys and girls with glowing green hands show up and leave you gifts, while thousand year old Monks fly in by helicopter and lay flowers out on a table. Seriously, Stoppable, your parties are whack."

"Sensei may be old, but he's very wise. Unlike some other old dudes I know. You don't have to make fun of his age." Ron snapped.

"Whatever, Stoppable." Barkin responded, "I'm gone. Congratulations on your nuptials."

And he packed up his turntables and left.

Ron dejectedly returned to his new wife. "I'm sorry." Was all he could offer.

She shrugged, the disappointment evident on her face, "I want to go home. Do you mind seeing off the rest of the guests?"

"Sure," He said.

Well, he'd blown it again. Maybe he'd talk to her in the morning. Perhaps he could pick up some flowers on the way to her parents' house for breakfast.

"I'll see you in the morning," She said wearily.

Kim said a quick goodbye to all the guests and then left. Ron was busy for the next couple of hours, helping guests find their coats, securing the gifts in his car, and generally tidying up. Rufus was asleep in his jacket pocket. Tomorrow, a work crew would come and tear down the pavilion, and haul away the chairs and tables.

"Hey, you two!" Ron called out, just before leaving, "Make sure you get home before sunrise!"

Wade and Monique waved and returned to their conversation. They were the last two people left in the pavilion.

Ron pulled up to the ranch house, disappointed Kim's car wasn't there. He knew she was talking about her parent's house when she said she was going home.

Ron left the gifts in the car and let himself in the front door.

The light wouldn't turn on. Great, now the power was out.

Then he became aware of a dim, orange/yellow glow coming from the back of the house. A few seconds later, he heard music.

_I know we've been friends forever_

_But now I think I'm feeling something totally new_

Ron dropped his keys on the kitchen counter, took off his jacket and laid it gently on the table, remembering Rufus was still asleep within.

"I'll see you in the morning" she had said. Ron realized it was after midnight. She'd played him good.

_And after all this time_

_I've opened up my eyes_

_Now I see, you were always with me_

She stood in the very center of the living room. There were lit candles on every available flat surface. It seemed as though there were hundreds of them, all different sizes, all flickering in different rhythms. The glow was bright, and she was mostly backlit. He couldn't see her very well.

_Could it be, you and I never imagined_

_Could it be suddenly I'm falling for you_

She had her hands behind her back, and as he walked toward her, she convulsed a little; a shiver.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Just a little cold," Kim answered softly

"I've got my jacket on the table, you want it?"

"That would defeat the purpose, Ron."

"The purpose of what?"

"I think you'd better come over here, Mr. Stoppable," she said invitingly.

_Could it be you were right here beside me_

_And I never knew_

_Could it be that it's true_

_That it's you_

Ron walked slowly over to his new wife and discovered exactly why she had caught a chill.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

Ron's heart raced.

What little she was wearing was white, billowy, and quite transparent.

"You're…" Ron hesitated, "Wow… you are so beautiful."

"Dance with me," she whispered.

He took her in his arms.

_It's kind of funny, you were always dear_

_But who would ever thought that we would end up here_

She put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He felt her warmth against him, though abstractly he was aware of goose pimples. Guess she really was cold. He plunged a hand deep into her hair while trailing the other hand down the small of her back.

_And every time I needed you_

_You were there to pull me through_

She put her hands on the back of his head and neck and kissed him, softly at first, but with increasing fervency and passion.

_Now it's clear_

_I've been waiting for you_

Without taking his lips from hers, Ron picked up his bride and carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

Rufus stood on the counter and watched as Ron carried her in and closed the door. He didn't want to, but something made him get up and watch them. The poor little guy felt horribly guilty, but had no idea what exactly had compelled him to do this. Unbeknownst to him, the hidden signal slowly withdrew itself. Rufus returned to the jacket, curled up inside the pocket, and fell into a troubled sleep. 


	5. IV

Author's note: After the last installment, I decided to get a little lighthearted, because things are about to get serious, and this is really more of a transitional chapter between acts one and two. Now that I've pretty much gotten everything set up, it's time to dive into the story, which really gets going in the next chapter. But I think there might be an interesting tidbit or two in this one, just so it won't be a complete waste of time on your part…

Also: last week, I enjoyed highlighting a particular story I liked so much I decided to make it a semi-regular feature. So if you'll indulge me, I want to point you in the direction of a work of Star Trek: TNG fanfiction by faithful reader Jezrianna 2.0. If you're a Trek fan, and I know I am, you might enjoy her particular take on the Federation and the possibility it is heavily influenced by Marxism. It's called "Points Of View" and it is very intriguing. Check it out, you'll find the link in her profile.

My grateful thanks to: Sand Lord (I dig the romance, too. Somehow, I suspect all guys do deep down), Jezrianna2.0, Widow Shark (A pun is a terrible thing to miss), Kemiztri (sorry so late), PotentialBoy, recon228 (No, _you_ da man!), Dreammergurl2007, Mobius97 (by all means, let me know if you see something amiss), aimtbj (I think the earlier review did get lost), WillK1989, BabyMama9672 (arriving late to the party means at least you got here, welcome aboard), SestrenNK, JPMod, LKillingsworth (lovely review, as always), campy (I do intend to write out a fic about the romance between Ron and Violet at a later date), Lonestarr (I think they make a nice match-up), Cold-Chaos, SpriteKin (awww, the new name's so cuuute!), The Opal Fairy, Melissa Ivory (thanks for pointing that out), jace10000 (thank you), KimberlyAnne Possible (hope this was soon enough), and yvj (personally, I think you should set your goals higher…  but thank you very much for one of the greatest compliments I've ever recieved.)

* * *

IV

* * *

Even an electronic brain can find itself distracted at times. The mole rat slept for a large portion of each day. This allowed the Mind to study it from the inside. Study what it could, anyway. It was still unable to locate the source signal that might lead back to the mole rat's artificial brain. It tried again and again to lock down a point of origin, but the signal seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. 

Then, a wonderful discovery. The Mind had been perusing several libraries in Japan, scouring through the history books that had been transcribed into electronic documents, looking for something, and perhaps someone, specific. Having found a brief but intriguing entry, the Mind actually forgot it hadn't fully withdrawn its presence from the signal flowing into the clone of the naked mole rat.

In the abstract, it wondered exactly what Kim and Ron were doing at the moment, though it could probably have guessed. Unexpectedly, complex information began flowing back from the signal of the clone. It had woken up, though it did not know why and found a vantage point with which to observe Kim and Ron Stoppable.

Thoughts from the artificial brain of the mole rat indicated it was confused, but not necessarily suspicious. The rodent had no idea why it woke up suddenly, nor did it understand the sudden compulsion to know what the Stoppables were up to.

From what the Mind could tell, the mole rat believed the impulse had come from its own artificial mind. There wasn't even the hint of suspicion that there might be an invader; that someone might have tapped into the signal.

Wait.

There.

A tiny thought that wondered if there was some sort of malfunction.

The Mind prepared to exit the signal when the brain of the mole rat pushed the thought away. Wade, the rodent's friend, was in charge of maintaining the electronic mind of the rodent, and the mole rat trusted him completely. Whatever the problem was, it couldn't possibly be Wade's fault. It must be something internal.

Self-doubt began to flood the mind of the mole rat, followed by guilt as the mole rat watched its two friends dance and hold each other in candlelight. Then Ron picked Kim up and carried her into the bedroom, and the signal was awash in relief.

Briefly, the Mind considered testing just how far his own thoughts could influence the actions of the rodent. Would it follow them into the bedroom and observe them there?

But the door had been closed, and they might get suspicious if they found a naked mole rat attempting to observe the consummation of their relationship.

Slowly, deliberately, the Mind pulled itself out of the rodent's signal and left it to deal with its guilt. With a sense of insidious smugness, the Mind realized it could mentally and emotionally torture someone close to Ron Stoppable, and very likely the little rat would just blame itself for whatever the Mind forced it to do.

There were plans to be made now. It would study just exactly how its own impulse had been transmitted into the clone without being detected by the mole rat's artificial brain. Then it would work out the best opportunities to exploit its new discovery and how that might empower the execution of its Ultimate Plan.

Soon, all of humankind – indeed, all life of any kind – would be destroyed.

And in keeping with its new goal, the Mind had finally settled upon a name for itself.

Though the world would be erased from existence before anyone upon it had a chance to discover who was responsible, at least the Mind would know its own secret name, and would relish the thought that it was the destroyer of all life.

For that is what it now called itself, a Greek name for the creature who guarded the abyss into which the Earth would be hurled at the end of times:

The Destroyer.

Apollyon.

* * *

"Observe what you see here, and remember," Came a hauntingly familiar voice. 

It was a hot afternoon, despite the location in the mountains.

Spanning an impossibly deep chasm was a flimsy rope-and-ladder style bridge. But it seemed more primitive then he remembered. The cross boards were pieces of bamboo tied together, while small strands of bamboo were woven to make the ropes.

This had to be Yamanuchi, but something about it all felt so unfamiliar. The trees were different, and there was a building within the compound he did not recognize.

The gate of the school was closed, and barricaded from the inside. Young faces lined the top of the walls, all of them seemed to be extremely concerned about something.

He looked in the direction of the waterfall and suddenly found himself moving. It was a bit disorienting. He wasn't walking, or flying, per se, but rather floating. Simply moving from one point in space to the other. His perception took him across the chasm and beyond the waterfall to the slope of the mountain beyond.

What he saw there took his breath away.

There were tens of thousand of people; all men, all lined up as neatly as possible in rectangular formations of perhaps a thousand men each. Every man wore a small bamboo pole strapped to his back, the top of which was affixed a small flag with a symbol on it. In the respective formations, the symbols were the all the same. Each formation had its own unique symbol painted on a large flag borne by a man who stood at the head of that formation. Each tiny flag on each of the men had a symbol that matched the large flags in their respective units.

They all wore dark brown kimonos trimmed in white, and each carried a weapon of one fashion or another. Much like the matching symbols, each formation was organized according to weapon type. There were archers, and swordsmen, halberdiers, and bearers of weapons with no translatable designation.

At the head of the army stood three columns of swordsmen who wore no designation upon their backs. They were dressed in their own style of kimono; dark brown trimmed in a lighter brown.

Every single man stood at perfect attention, the only movement among them being the flags which fluttered in the hot, stifling breeze.

At the head of this massive army were four men on horseback. They wore bamboo armor and were the only ones wearing any kind of bodily protection.

One of them dismounted and strode toward the waterfall. Stepping around it, he walked through a sort of passageway that opened upon the edge of the chasm and the rope-and-ladder bridge. The bridge was anchored on the other side to a tall spire of rock that jutted up from the ravine. From that spire, another bridge stretched across the far side of the chasm to the front gates of Yamanuchi.

Just as the armored figure stepped onto the near bridge, the front gate of Yamanuchi opened and out stepped an old man. He carried no weapon, and was wearing no armor.

It was Sensei.

Both men crossed their respective bridges and met on the narrow spire in the center. The armor-clad warrior bowed low. Sensei returned the bow with a stiff nod of his head.

"Greetings, Master," the unknown figure spoke first, "I am pleased to find you in such good health, especially for a warrior who is so advanced in years."

"Greetings, Ishigawa," Sensei replied, "I am pleased to find I am not so advanced in years that I do not recognize an insult, even when it wears the guise of a compliment."

Sensei's tone of voice was cold and unfriendly. He gazed at the younger warrior whom he called 'Ishigawa' with narrow, inhospitable eyes.

"Tell me," Sensei continued, giving the other man no time to respond to his remark, "Why is it you further insult me by bringing an army to the very gates of my school?"

"Ah," Ishigawa replied, his friendly tone of voice never once faltering, "The presence of the army is happenstance. It is meant for other purposes."

"Fine," Sensei replied evenly, "Then send them away."

"Not possible, of course," Ishigawa adopted a condescending tone, "For this other purpose of which I speak will require my utmost attention very shortly. I have only come to the school to pay my respects to its venerable master and retrieve a few items which are of little import to you, I am sure."

"Name these items," Sensei said icily, "And I will see if I might be able to retrieve them for you."

"Ah," Ishigawa replied, "Master is very wise and very direct. Of course, the items of which I speak are the Ohana Blades, and it is my wish to carry them with me into the impending battle. I've no doubt you have heard that Japan is in very grave danger, and I am even now on my way to defend our motherland from it."

"Interesting," Sensei said coldly, "I have indeed heard of this peril which threatens Japan, but it was my impression that you and your band of marauders were that very danger of which you speak."

Ishigawa laughed off the insult, "I am but a humble warrior attempting to defend Japan from the self-destruction of unending and fractious feuds. A united Japan will be a much better motherland under my guidance."

It was Sensei's turn to laugh, "I did not realize 'iron-fisted rule' had been accepted as a new definition for the term 'guidance'."

Ishigawa stiffened almost imperceptibly. The insults were becoming almost more than he could tolerate. But then he relaxed once more, "Do you not agree that Japan is in much need of the unification of her people?"

"Of course," Sensei said lightly, "Though one man's definition of 'unification' is another's for 'enslavement'."

"I am curious," Ishigawa said through gritted teeth, "At what point did you suddenly take an interest in the politics of the world outside the school?"

"I should think that would be obvious," Sensei stated casually, "My interest arose when I learned a former pupil of mine had become the lord of the Satsuma province, and yet was not satisfied with the attainment of such power. Now he wishes to subjugate all of Japan under his thumb, but does not believe he can achieve such a goal without the help of the Ohana Blades."

Ishigawa finally dropped any remaining pretense of courtesy, "If Master was unhappy with my time spent at his school, he might have informed me before now. I was under the mistaken impression that I had attained great skill during my years spent here."

"I do not question your estimable skills in the ways of Ninjitsu, I question your judgment and the manner in which you have applied them to your life."

"Arrogant, hypocritical fool!" Ishigawa seethed, "You teach the ways of the assassin and then condemn those who use such skills for their intended purpose?"

Sensei's eyes widened ever so slightly. Such brazen insults were considered the height of rudeness in Japanese society. No one would have questioned Sensei had he killed his former pupil then and there. Save for the subtlest reaction in his eyes, he remained unmoved.

"As you well know," Sensei continued icily, "I teach the ways of Ninjitsu to all who are willing and capable of learning them. What each man does with my teachings is his own responsibility. I am sure I have made it abundantly clear that I do not intend for my students to go on to become assassins. And I am doubly sure it was made clear that I did not intend for any of my students to attempt to conquer Japan by force."

Ishigawa had enough, "Do you, or do you not intend to surrender the Ohana Blades to me?"

"The Blades are not mine to surrender, nor are they yours to possess. I am merely their caretaker. The Blades choose for themselves whom they will serve."

"Then I will come and see if they will be better suited in my service." Ishigawa stated curtly. He swept an arm in the direction of the school, "This is a very defensible position, but eventually the rock will bow to the will of the tide. It would be unfortunate to have to slaughter your students needlessly."

Without even a nod of the head, Sensei turned and made his way back across the bridge to the school. Ishigawa stood and fumed. For Sensei to not have even made a pretense at bowing was perhaps the deepest insult he could have heaped upon the lord of the Satsuma province. It was an unspoken statement that Sensei did not even consider him of sufficient stature to acknowledge with a bow. Ishigawa turned and stalked back across the bridge to the waterfall, and out to the army beyond.

His aids and generals greeted him with low bows. He turned to address one of them.

"General," he growled, "Deploy your troops for a siege. Send scouts into the ravine to ascertain any weaknesses in the defensive position of the school that might be exploited. Anyone seen attempting to leave the school is to be shot and searched."

"Hai!" The General barked, then turned and issued orders to his aids.

Ishigawa mounted his horse and addressed his troops directly.

"The war to liberate Japan from itself begins here, today!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

A deafening roar went up from the army.

* * *

Ron's eyes snapped open. He rose and sat at the side of the bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

That dream again, and this time, it was longer with much more detail. He'd had this same recurring dream since the first time he attended Yamanuchi way back in high school. Originally, however, it was mostly blurry images and muffled voices and then he'd wake up. But then, like an old TV that needed to warm up before it could broadcast an image, those sights and sounds began to sharpen. The last time he had this dream was a little over six months ago, when he want to see Sensei and apologize for losing the Lotus Blade.

This time, however, he saw details within the dream as he had never seen them before; the color of the army's kimonos, or the symbols on the flags. Previously when he observed the conversation he'd catch only bits and pieces.

But the truly bizarre thing – as far as Ron was concerned - was that fact that the entire conversation between Sensei and the one called Ishigawa was in Japanese, and he'd understood every word of it.

When he first began having the dream, it was so disjointed and fuzzy that it seemed like any other dream to him. Thus he thought nothing of it. But lately, especially after this latest occurrence, he wondered if he should go to Sensei and ask him if the dreams had some sort of meaning to them.

It would be easier if he could just pick up the phone. But then he supposed Yamanuchi wouldn't be what it was if Sensei allowed too much of the outside world to creep in to it.

But maybe he should wait. It seemed fairly clear to him the dream wasn't over. And whatever it was trying to say to him had taken ten years just to get to this point. Best, perhaps, to wait until it became even clearer, and even more detailed. Then maybe the dream would explain itself, and he wouldn't need to seek out Sensei's help. Something told Ron, however, that he was going to need Sensei's help whether he ultimately understood the significance of the dream or not.

Ron felt a movement behind him, accompanied by a rustling sort of sigh. Suddenly, he remembered where and when he was.

Home. The morning after his wedding.

It was with some wonder that he turned around and beheld his wife, sleeping next to him with her auburn hair cascading across the bright whiteness of the pillow, a look of contentment on her face.

Suddenly the dream was forgotten, and all he could think about was the fact that he had actually married Kim Possible, and she was currently sharing his bed, his home, his life.

Perhaps even his soul.

Sure, it was a little corny. Romance movies and books had so overused the term 'Soulmate' that it seemed to lose real meaning. But Ron truly understood the symbolism of the term now. Yes he loved her, yes she was his best friend, yes he was filled with wonder just watching her sleep. But he had discovered something deeper, something he did not realize was there before.

He would willingly die for her.

Not that he wanted to just yet. Dying meant he would be away from her and that's the last thing he wanted. But if it ever came down to it, he would gladly give up his life in order to keep her from harm.

And it was with grim realization that he noted Kim had reached that point six and a half years ago. It was that day when they were trapped in Cody Pendant's lair and she had to decide whether she would die, or Ron would.

She had chosen herself without even thinking about it.

Ron gazed at her for awhile.

What is it about watching a loved one sleep? It must simply be the peace and quiet, the look of contentment on the face, or perhaps it is the vulnerability of the situation. You just want to reach out and hold that person, and tell her you won't let anything happen to her, not while she sleeps at least.

Though Ron had taken vows in front of many witnesses the day before, he took one more this morning, with no witnesses, in the quiet solitude of their marriage bed. He finally understood what Kim understood six years ago. There was someone on this earth who meant more to him than his own life.

Ron vowed he would never walk away from her again.

_Til death do us part._

He looked at the bedside clock and let out a frustrated sigh. They would be leaving for their honeymoon later that afternoon, and there were a few things he needed to get done before they left. None of his errands was a particularly large or annoying necessity, but they suddenly seemed so to Ron since all he really wanted to do was stay in bed with Kim.

Somewhere deep in her slumber, she must have sensed he was thinking about her, because her eyes opened and blinked at him a few times.

"Hey, you." She said sleepily, a smile finding its way on to her face.

"Good morning, Mrs. Stoppable," He said playfully, "Tell me something. Did last night really happen or was it all a fantastic dream?"

At the word 'dream' his face clouded over for a second, but he didn't know why. Or rather, he couldn't remember.

"Oh, it happened all right," She said, yawning and stretching. She looked like a green-eyed cat snuggled up under the covers. "And thanks for not shouting 'booyah'… you know, more than three or four times."

Ron chuckled, "It seemed like a 'booyah' kind of moment. If you like, next time I can shout something like 'Geronimo' or maybe 'Go Ron! It's your birthday!'"

Kim rolled her eyes and laughed, "Well, if those are my choices, then I'll stay with 'booyah'. Besides, maybe I should be the one shouting 'it's your birthday'."

Ron shared in her laughter, "You know, that might actually work for me."

"Care to find out?" She said invitingly, lifting the covers just enough to remind him that she was (un)dressed for the occasion, "It just so happens that I'm wearing my 'birthday' suit."

"Aw, man," Ron's eyes traveled longingly up the length of his wife's form, coming to rest on her eyes, "I'm supposed to meet Wade in half an hour, and then I was going to get some stuff for the long plane ride… and… um…"

His resolve - what little there was of it - was being assaulted by Kim's use of the Puppy Dog Pout. Suddenly he couldn't think of a single reason why he should leave the room.

Ever.

With a delighted giggle, Kim held the covers up as Ron slid beneath them once more.

* * *

Lord Montgomery Fisk had once been an internationally renowned archeologist. For the last ten years, however, he had been a fugitive of sorts. 

Well, it wasn't as though the pursuit was constant. None of the authorities were looking for him, it was just one person. And sometimes, for a few years at a time, that person would give up the chase and leave him alone. But then, on occasion, his whereabouts would be discovered and he would have to go into hiding again. This wasn't what life of the Earth's intended Monkey King was supposed to be like.

His latest hideout was a cave in a wild animal preserve deep in the jungles of Kenya. He spent several frustrating years trying to hatch some new scheme to position himself as Monkey King, but it was very slow going. When in hiding, he couldn't quite do the extensive research he could when he lived in his stately English manor. He had a laptop with a solar powered recharging unit. But power for the computer wasn't the issue, it was access to the Internet. The headquarters for the animal preserve was thirty miles away, but it was a wi-fi hotspot, and it gave him the best access to research ideas for new world domination plots.

Thirty miles, however, was a long walk.

Most days, he just hung around the cave, keeping himself in shape by honing his skills with Tai Xing Pek Wah. He missed his monkey ninjas, and had no idea what had become of them.

Some days he was desperately lonely. Ten years was a long time to sit and brood over his life's failures. What could he have done differently that might have taken him where he wanted to go? Having once been an English lord, Monkey Fist considered himself refined, civilized; a man with scruples and restraint. But in the last decade, he'd become obsessed with world domination, to the point that he lost all sight of why he originally wanted such a position. It was a shot at absolute power. What other reason did he need?

His frustrated boredom ceased today when he accessed the Internet and found he had an e-mail waiting for him. This was quite odd since he didn't have an e-mail account he was aware of. But there was an icon on the screen, informing him that he had mail. He was about to delete it, but something held him back.

Burning with curiosity, the half-man/half-monkey who called himself Monkey Fist guided his pointer over to the 'open mail' icon and clicked on it.

The screen went completely blank.

Terrific. His first e-mail in years and he'd just opened up a virus. What a stupid thi-

Two words popped up on the screen.

_Hello Montgomery._

Monkey Fist stared at them for awhile, not knowing what to think.

_Hello again, Montgomery. Aren't you going to answer me?_

Monkey Fist typed, 'Who are you?'

_My name is Apollyon. I'm a friend who wants to help you._

'Help me with what?'

_Your quest to become Supreme Monkey Ruler, of course._

Monkey Fist stared at his screen. Who was this? 'What is your interest in my becoming Monkey King?'

_Vengeance._

'Against?'

_Ron Stoppable._

Again, Monkey Fist stared at his screen. Revenge never much interested him. To be sure he had no love for his arch foe, but to seek vengeance upon Ron Stoppable was to admit that Stoppable's haphazard victories over Monkey Fist were anything other than accidental. That would be too much of a blow to his pride. As far as Monkey Fist was concerned, the defeats he suffered at the hands of Ron Stoppable were merely a lucky streak on the part of the buffoon. Besides, he hadn't seen Stoppable in quite some time. Still…

_I trust I have your attention._

Whoever this Apollyon fellow was, he shared a common enemy with Monkey Fist. If the price for Apollyon's assistance in attaining the Monkey Throne was an act of vengeance upon Ron Stoppable, it would be well worth it.

'What must I do?'

_Make your way to Middleton and await my instructions. Bring your laptop, as this is the only way we will be able to communicate with each other._

'It will take some time for me to accomplish this.'

_There will be a ticket under the name of 'Fisk' waiting for you at the airport. Make sure you keep those mutant appendages of yours well covered. I do not have time nor the energy to spring you from an airport jail. Open your e-mail when you arrive, just as you did today. I will be waiting._

Monkey Fist immediately set about packing his things.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late, Wade, something came up… I mean…er… I was having a hard time… aw geeze…what I meant to say was-" 

"Traffic?" Wade asked wryly.

"Yeah, that'll work," Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, how's Kim?" Jim asked.

"She was fantastic-"

Eyebrows went up.

"_Is_ fantastic, she _IS_ fantastic," Ron laughed nervously, "OK, I really need to shut up now."

They were upstairs at the Possible residence. Kim was chatting with her parents and would be up in a few minutes. Wade, though he was beginning to grow accustomed to personal contact, still preferred meeting with everyone via monitor. Rufus sat quietly on Ron's shoulder. He'd be staying with the Twins while Ron and Kim were away on their honeymoon.

"Moving on," Tim said hurriedly, "How late did you and Monique stay out last night, Wade?"

"Oh…we…I mean…yeah…," Wade may have been getting used to personal contact with his friends, but he would never become accustomed to being the center of attention.

"Come on, Wade, spill it," Ron persisted, glad the spotlight was away from him.

"We talked for awhile…geeze… you guys could ease up a little," Wade stammered.

"Sorry, man, " Ron glanced at his watch, "Kim and I have a plane to catch, so let's get this taken care of."

"OK," Wade said, "Tim and I have been talking. He wants to take a somewhat less active role in Twin Possible."

Ron looked over at the Twins who nodded in confirmation.

"What are you going to do?" He asked Tim.

"We're developing an interface similar to the one Wade uses with you. We thought we'd set this room (and here he indicated Kim's old bedroom) up as a sort of headquarters for our operation. I'll be doing the technical work while Jim does the field work. In addition, I've submitted a few ideas to Global Justice, and they're interested in funding a couple of Top Secret projects that require my involvement.

"OK, what's this got to do with me?" Ron became curious.

"Global Justice wants two Deep Field Operatives working in the Middleton area. Since Tim is moving on, we've found ourselves short by one." Jim informed him.

"GJ thinks Ronin would be a perfect DFO," Tim finished, "And we've been asked to recruit you if we can."

"What about Kim?" Ron asked.

"What about me?" came a voice from the top of the stairway. Kim came in and flopped down on her old bed next to her new husband, "Hey Wade, I just got off the phone with Monique. She says she's really excited about your date next Saturday!"

"Dude!" Ron practically shouted.

The Twins began making catcalls and smoochy noises. Wade turned visibly red on the monitor.

"OK, settle down, boys. So what were we talking about?" Kim steered the conversation back on it course.

"Global Justice wants me as a DFO," Ron told her.

Kim's eyes lit up, "Oh, sweetie, that's great! You'll take the job, right?"

"Not without talking to you about it first." He countered.

"You don't need my permission," she informed him.

"Well, I don't see it as asking your permission. More like checking with my partner."

"Oh," She said, understanding, "Gotcha. So why did you say 'what about Kim'?"

Ron turned back to the Twins, "Doesn't GJ want Kim as an agent?"

Before Jim and Tim could think of a polite answer, Kim found it for them, "I've been out of the game for six years. As Ronin, you've proven yourself capable in the field. Besides, I've got my research cranking back up when we return. A position at GJ would just be too much on my plate."

"And we should be clear about something." Jim sounded serious, "GJ wants Ronin, as opposed to simply Ron Stoppable. Ronin includes Wade as well."

"I've already given my consent," Wade confirmed, "Provided my involvement with GJ is on an extremely limited basis. I like my independence."

"Of course," Ron said sheepishly, realizing Ronin wasn't just about him, "I wasn't trying to exclude you at all."

"I know," Wade said pleasantly, "It's cool."

Ron looked back to his wife, who smiled at him warmly and nodded.

"OK," Ron said, "I guess we're in."

"Hooshah!" Tim said enthusiastically.

"Welcome back, Ronin!" Wade said over the monitor.

Ron realized he hadn't been called that in over six months. In fact, not since that day on the roof of the Middleton Bank when Kim had given him a solid right hook to the face. He had forgotten all about that. Then, darkly, he remembered that the Kim Clone had called him Ronin in a burst of anger, right in this very room.

Life sure could get weird sometimes.

Global Justice finally got its Ron Factor.

* * *

The Mind was a terrible thing in haste. 

So much to do, and for the first time, Apollyon felt it might not have the wherewithal to do it. Destroying all life forever was turning out to be a complex operation.

It almost seemed as if Apollyon were _meant_ to destroy humanity. How else could it explain the fortunate turn of events over the last few days?

First, there was the fact that Ron Stoppable would be going to work for GJ. This would make things so much simpler for Apollyon, it almost wanted to send a 'thank you' card to Global Justice Senior Director of Operations: Wil Du.

Then, after the intriguing discovery involving the Rufus Clone last night, there was an even better one this morning. Because Rufus had been asleep when Apollyon managed to get him to spy on the Stoppables' wedding night, the rodent had awakened today believing the whole things was a dream.

This was almost too good to be true.

The mole rat's artificial brain had been in sleep mode. And because it allowed for the possibility of even the most vivid of dreams, it didn't get suspicious when it woke up this morning. In fact, the artificial brain had literally slept through the previous night's episode.

Because of this, Apollyon's plans were now in earnest. It had already set in motion the events regarding Monkey Fist, now it was time to begin planning and constructing the next phase of the operation.

One step closer to the annihilation of all life for all time.

* * *

If you were patient enough to read the story called REUNION, dear reader, then you will know already that Kim and Ron's honeymoon was one of blissful days at the beach and cool nights spent luxuriating in each other's arms. Private island life suited them quite well. By the end of their two week stay they had both gone a little 'native' as the old saying goes. Kim took to wearing just a sarong about her waist and a hat to keep the sun off the fair skin of her nose and cheeks. And Ron… let's just say Ron returned to Middleton without any tan lines. 

As reluctant as they were to return to civilization, Kim was anxious to restart her artificial brain research and Ron was eager to begin his tenure as a Deep Field Operative for Global Justice.

Although final construction on the house had been delayed for another month, the Basement was complete, and Kim began purchasing equipment for the initial stages of her research.

Wade came out to set up a few security systems, as well as install a number of computer work stations and the like. Monique couldn't resist tagging along, wanting to hear all about the honeymoon. Kim, in turn, wanted to hear all about Monique's date with Wade, so they went upstairs and sat in the unfinished kitchen, leaving Wade to his installations and mild embarrassment.

Ron was in his third tedious day of orientation at Global Justice. He spent hours and hours reading manuals and watching videos that detailed GJ's official policies, all of which Ron had witnessed GJ agents violate or ignore at one time or another. He wondered what the point was. At least he had Rufus to keep him company, though Rufus seemed keenly interested in the orientation procedures at times. The mole rat seemed to be sleeping a lot less than normal lately, but Ron chalked it up to Rufus being excited that his friend had finally returned home.

Meanwhile, back at the R&K Ranch, Kim was learning that Wade had gone all out to make his and Monique's first date a memorable one.

"OK," Kim said, confused, "Let me get this straight. Your entire date with Wade was spent in his basement, and for you it was one of the best dates you'd ever been on. Do I have that right?"

"Yup!" Monique said cheerfully.

"So, you _are_ going to explain. Yes?"

"OK," Monique bubbled, "You remember the night of your wedding, Wade and I stayed late just talking?"

Kim nodded.

"Well, most of the conversation was about me. Wade wanted to know all about me, my favorite things, places I've always wanted to go…"

"Awwww."

"I know! Right? Anyway, I didn't hear from him all week and then I realized we forgot to exchange phone numbers."

Kim gasped, "Wade must have felt you weren't interested."

"I think so, because when I finally looked up his mother's phone number – girl, you shoulda heard the screams of joy comin' outta that woman when I told her I wanted to talk to her son – Wade sounded relieved that I called. Went on about how he thought he'd blown it, blah, blah, blah."

"What is it with men?"

"I'm sayin'!" Monique agreed, "So Wade tells me to come over to his house and I start to get nervous, 'cause I'm thinkin' _'you can't take the nerd outta the man'_, and maybe we're gonna spend the evening playing some silly role playing game where I gotta be an elf princess or whatever…"

But…" Kim prodded.

"But…" and here Monique sank back in her chair and sighed, "He took me everywhere."

"Huh?"

"After his mom and dad met me and his mom started to gush on and on until finally Wade's dad said 'let the boy alone', we went downstairs. And let me tell you at this point I am all full up with dread thinkin' _'how am I gonna get through this'_, but maybe it's not such a bad thing because I get to find out early on what kind of man Wade is."

"Shy but thoughtful," Kim guessed.

"Girl you have no idea. He leads me over to this chair thingy and tells me to just relax. And I have no idea what's comin'. But then he puts this kind of helmet thing on my head and says just to be patient."

"But you were beginning to freak."

"Like Dave Chappelle at a contract meeting. Anyway, I can't see a thing for a few minutes until suddenly, I'm standing in a room that looks just like his basement."

"But it wasn't."

"Total computer simulation!" Monique raved, "But the weird thing is it doesn't just look like his basement, it feels like it, sounds like it, even smells like it."

"Smells?"

"You know, electronics and stuff."

"Ah."

"So I'm standing in his basement, and suddenly he appears out of thin air and says 'what do you think?' and I say, 'Interesting' because it was, but then he snaps his fingers and voila! We're in Paris!"

"You've always wanted to go to Paris!"

"Yeah! But it wasn't just Paris, it was Paris in the year 1898, and all the people were dressed in Victorian clothes and there were artists everywhere, and no cars but there were horse drawn trolley carts and boats on the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower was brand new. He took me to dinner at a private restaurant-"

"You ate?"

"Not exactly, we virtually ate. But you could taste the food and smell the aromas and everything. There was candlelight, and a violin player and a personal chef who made us whatever we wanted, and it was all so romantic!"

Kim, despite the fact that she was twenty-eight years old, squealed with delight like a little schoolgirl.

"I know!" Monique agreed, "Then he took me to _his_ favorite place."

"Which is?"

"Iceland. Not Iceland today, but rather Iceland when it was still a volcano forming thousands of years ago. He told me all this science-y stuff that I've since forgotten and I feel really bad about it because it actually was interesting-"

"I think he'll understand," Kim said reassuringly.

"So we're standing on this volcano and watching it explode right in front of us, but Wade programmed the simulation so that we couldn't feel the lava or get hit by rocks. It was really something."

"Sounds like it."

"We spent some time watching the lava flow and the sun set, and then he took me to a private wrestling match between Pain King and Steel Toe! There were screaming fans and everything!"

"Interesting", Kim said with a little less enthusiasm. She never understood Monique's fascination with the GWA.

"Yeah, but I haven't even gotten to the cool part! About halfway through the match, Steel Toe is winning, and you know I like Pain King, so I don't understand why Wade's got my favorite wrestler losing. But then Pain King finally struggles to his feet, limps over to where we're sitting and points at me!"

"Points at you?"

"Yeah, and he's all like 'Monique, you gotta go in for me!', and I look down, and Wade had programmed me to be wearing a wrestling outfit right at that moment."

One of Kim's eyebrows went up.

"So Pain King tags me in and I go all medieval on Steel Toe, and Wade climbs up to the outside of the ring and he's cheering me on, screamin' 'Go Monique, knock him out!'."

"Awww."

"Yup! And I'm body slammin' Steel Toe and bouncin' him off the ropes and flippin' through the air, droppin' the man with an elbow. I kicked some serious Steel Toe booty. Wade programmed it so it would be just challenging enough without losing its fun factor. Then he took me to Venice for dessert to celebrate my victory. We ate gelato while floating up the Grand Canal, and the coolest thing was, there was no one else there. Not even a driver for the gondola. It was pre-programmed to float on its own course. The sun went down, the lights came up, and music seemed to come from everywhere."

"So did you get a virtual smooch?"

"I leaned over and kissed him. And I think I caught him by surprise because his eyes went wide at first. You shoulda seen him, I'm leaning closer and closer to him and his eyes are getting wider and wider. I thought his eyelids were going to flip up over his head!"

Kim laughed, "And…?"

Monique just smiled, "If kissing were an Olympic sport, I don't think Wade would make it past the qualifiers… but it seems like a minor detail when you think about the night as a whole. I mean, what's the point of being a good kisser when you can't treat a lady with some respect, or make her feel appreciated?"

"And Wade's the opposite?"

"Way opposite. The kissing, I'm sure, will get better with practice. But that whole night was like one long note saying 'I appreciate you. I want to get to know you better.' From him to me, you know what I'm sayin'?"

"Yes I do," Kim said with conviction, thinking back over all the times when Ron had occasionally planned their dates, and especially that first one, long ago when he took her to dinner at Chez Ron. It seemed as though Wade had a similar thoughtfulness about him.

One floor below, Ron was talking to Wade. Ron had approached the front door and heard lively female chatter coming from the kitchen. Girl talk. Best leave it to the professionals.

The entirety of Ron and Wade's conversation about that first date went as follows:

"So how'd the date go?"

"Great."

"She kiss you?"

"Yep."

"Cool!"

And they immediately launched into a conversation about the latest baseball scores.

Sometime later, Wade had finished and told Ron he had something for him. Ron went scampering upstairs.

"Wade wants to show us the new Ninjet!" He beamed.

"Oh, cool!" Kim said getting up, "Coming, Monique?"

"Sure," Monique said smiling, then, after Ron had bounded back downstairs, said in a lowered voice, "Uh, Kim? I've actually seen the new Ninjet. I think you should be prepared to lose your husband for awhile."

Kim looked perplexed, but figured it was some sort of guy thing.

She figured right.

The side of the bluff under the house which sat directly on the lake had been hollowed out to make a large entrance from the lake into the Basement itself. Originally, Ron was going to perhaps keep a small fishing boat for occasional jaunts with his father out on the water. Wade assured them that there was plenty of space in the center of the Basement to park the jet, so they all stood back as Wade guided the aircraft in.

Ron and Kim's jaws dropped a little. Well, Ron's dropped a lot.

Ron, despite the fact that he was twenty-eight years old, squealed with delight like a little schoolgirl.

Into the basement hovered a black 1985 Lamborghini Countach LP 500S. The wheel wells were covered with matching black body parts that gave the overall body a smooth, uninterrupted look, as though there never were any wheel wells there at all. Just before it set down, the shields on the wheel wells withdrew and the wheels themselves, which were folded up beneath the body, flipped neatly into place as the car settled to the ground.

Ron was dimly aware that he was drooling.

"It's got both forward and rear mounted infrared and night vision cameras," Wade began, "The air intake panels have been slightly modified to encompass missile launchers."

"Missile launchers?" Kim asked, concerned.

"Specially designed rockets that fire a range of non-lethal devices such as grapplers, or homing devices. Things like that. It would be impossible to fire conventional missiles from these." Wade answered, indicating the air intake panels.

"Impervious to radar?" Ron asked.

"Radar, sonar, and whatever other tracking devices are currently being used by both military and civilian agencies throughout the world. It's also got a cloak, though that uses up a ton of power. It operates on twin hydrogen/oxygen burning engines, which register almost no heat on infrared. Comes with automatic missile avoidance and countermeasure systems. Behind the taillights are the main thrusters, with four hover-capable thrusters mounted on the undercarriage. When in flight mode, four small wings extend from the shields on the wheel wells and will automatically retract when you engage the hover or driving modes. Other than the thrusters on the underside, the rest of the undercarriage is covered with a smooth plating that helps with airlift. Basically, the car's body is its own wing. And I modified the rear spoiler to function as an elevator."

"An elevator?" Ron was confused,

"A wing flap that makes the craft go up or down. The small wings on the sides will provide the rudder and turning capabilities."

"Sweet," Ron breathed, "Did you say 'drive mode'?"

"Yeah," Wade said grinning, "And check this out."

He pushed a button on his remote control and the tires inflated to large, knobby, all-terrain wheels which lifted the main body off the ground by a good ten inches.

"Virtually all-terrain. Yes it floats, and yes, it will submerge. The rear thrusters will automatically convert to impellors when the sub mode is engaged."

"Sub mode!" Ron raved, "Kim! It's got a sub mode!"

"Does it come with a flux capacitor?" Kim asked wryly.

"That was a DeLorean," Ron and Wade said simultaneously.

Wade continued, "The undercarriage is a special heat-shield composite I've been working on for NASA."

"Heat shield?" Ron asked, then realized, "No way!"

"The cockpit is pressurized, of course, and we should be able to get this baby into low orbit if we ever decide we want to."

"Oh," Ron said emphatically, "We want to."

"Let's take a look inside," Wade continued, pushing a button.

The doors slid inward slightly, then extended outward an inch and slid upward, looking like metallic angel's wings when they reached their zenith. Wade informed him that the doors had to be remounted to the inside of the body due to the pressurization feature of the cockpit.

Ron slid into the driver's seat. Wade crouched down next to him and invited Kim to take a seat on the passenger side.

"Oh, baby," Ron said breathlessly.

"Would you like to be alone with the car?" Kim offered sarcastically.

"Maybe later," Ron absently replied.

The interior was covered with electronic equipment. A view screen was where the entertainment system normally would have been. Switches and digital indicators covered virtually every available space.

"In drive mode, your speed is controlled by the foot pedals, of course, but when you engage the flight mode, the pedals will retract into the floor. Your speed while in flight will be this throttle here."

In place of the stick shift was a two-pillared throttle that looked a little like an automatic shifter on some high end sports cars. This one, of course, was covered with buttons within easy reach of the fingers.

"Slide it forward to go faster, back to go slower." Wade instructed him.

"Wait," Ron said, finally coming to the realization, "I'm going to be piloting this myself?"

"Yes," Wade confirmed, "I think it will work out better this way. I can still take control of it if I need to, but after my frightening ride to the church six months ago in the old Ninjet, I thought you should be able to take more direct control."

"The controls are intuitive," Wade continued, "And there are automatic fail-safes that will engage if you slow down too much, or begin to lose control. And if all else fails, all you have to do is shout a safety phrase and the Ninjet will pilot itself to the closest available landing zone while sending a distress signal back to my basement."

"What's the phrase?"

"I haven't input anything yet, I figured we'd come up with something the three of us could agree on," Wade answered.

"It'd have to be a phrase you don't use very often like 'no cheese on mine', or 'monkeys are my friends' or even 'here, Kim, let me get the door for you'," Kim grinned at her husband.

"Kim Possible!" Ron hollered, doing his best Drakken imitation, "You think you're funny, but you're not!"

"OK," Wade said uncomfortably. He wasn't sure if the Stoppables were having a marital spat, "How about 'autopilot override'?"

"Well," Ron said lightly, "It's no 'monkeys are my friends', but it'll work. Can we take this bad boy for a spin?"

"I'm kinda hungry," Kim declared, "I think it's getting to be dinner time."

"Why don't we all go get something to eat?", Monique suggested, "Maybe see a movie afterwards?"

"That'll work," Ron said distractedly, "Why don't you guys go in Monique's car, find a restaurant, and give me a call on my cell phone when you get there?"

"OK!" Kim said lightly, then turned to mutter to Monique, "Know what the nice thing about the distracting aspect of this car is?"

"They won't notice until too late that we're taking them to see a romantic movie?" Monique guessed.

"Booyah!" Kim confirmed quietly.

The men were already in the Ninjet, waiting patiently for the women to clear the room. Ron engaged the hover mode and Wade showed him how to ease it out of the Basement. They immediately went into sub mode and dove into the lake, tooled around for awhile, and then rocketed into the air.

It was with some reluctance that they answered Kim's call a half hour later.

* * *

Rufus stood and watched as the car sailed out of the underground room and out over the lake. He was a little disappointed they didn't take him with them, especially later on when he realized all the food was still over at the ranch house. 

He found a warm spot in the half-finished kitchen upstairs, curled up and fell asleep.

Two minutes later, he was up again and back down in the basement, carefully examining all of Kim's newly installed equipment.


	6. V

Author's note: Sorry of this chapter's too long. There were one or two things I thought about editing out, but I just liked it all too much

As always, thanks for the kind words to:Jezriana2.0, Mobius97, Sand Lord, LKillingsworth, JPMod, Cold-Chaos, Kimnron4ever, recon 228, Widow Shark, Melissa Ivory, aimtbj, Spooks-a-lot, PotentialBoy, SpriteKin, Dreammergurl2007, kemiztri, Sestren NK, and Manchester Black.

"Highway to the danger zone…"

* * *

V.

* * *

Somewhere far above the Caribbean, the Ninjet Mark II was moving at twice the speed of sound, at a cruising altitude of forty-six thousand feet. It was on its way back from Buenos Aires where its occupants had just completed a mission.

Neither of them were talking to each other during the return flight to Middleton, each lost in his own thoughts.

Ron was thinking about his wife. He and Kim had been married for eight months now, and she was still "in training" as she put it; getting herself in satisfactory shape to resume hero work. But she still hadn't taken any missions, always with the excuse that she wasn't done with her physical training.

Ron began to suspect something else. Her research was going slowly. He didn't quite understand all the concepts and theories she was working on, but there was something in the way she talked about the progress of her research that raised a few red flags in Ron's head. One week he'd ask how it was going and she'd talk about this nano-circuit or that storage capacity whatever, but other weeks her answers would be less specific. "Fine", she'd say, or "coming along".

Kim couldn't have been procrastinating. That just wasn't like her. But every time he tried to have a serious conversation about her taking a mission, she'd say "Oh, maybe next month" or something like that and then change the subject.

Ron began to wonder if Kim had lost her nerve.

After all, her most recent work as a hero involved thwarting Deathray, who just happened to be her fiancé at the time. A fact she never discovered until too late. And perhaps it wasn't just the fact that she'd come this close to losing her life, or that she was almost doomed to spend her life in a cryogenic tube. Maybe it was those things combined with the fact that they had all been done to her by a man she had intended to marry.

Ron decided it was time he and his wife had a serious talk. If it was nerves, then she needed to conquer them. If he just let her stay home all the time, eventually she'd turn into a timid, unassertive housewife who used to be a famous teen hero and Nobel prize winning doctor. It wasn't a case where Ron wanted to keep the woman he fell in love with from changing. He simply knew deep down, Kim would come to despise herself for not getting back on the horse after a rough, unintended dismount.

Ron's thoughts then turned to Rufus. Something had to be wrong with the little guy. He just wasn't acting like himself. Every week he seemed more and more agitated, while less enthusiastic about even getting up in the morning. He had stopped going on missions, and was sleeping a lot less.

Ron had sent him to stay with Wade six months ago, and Wade ran all kinds of tests but found hardly anything out of the ordinary. The clone body was healthy, and the artificial brain was working perfectly. Wade noticed there were a lot of files in that section of the brain that dealt with dreams, but he respected the mole rat's privacy. Rufus seemed to have taken a lot of interest in Wade's equipment, but that didn't appear odd to anyone.

Ron didn't want to bother Wade too much anyway. Things with Monique were going along swimmingly. Well, save for that one rough patch a couple of months ago…

* * *

"I think she's going to dump me!" Wade said despondently.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Nothing I can put my finger on," Wade was really glum, "We had our first argument, and didn't speak to each other for a few days. That was last week. But then I apologized – and I have been apologizing every day since then! She keeps saying it's cool, but I know something's wrong."

"Well, what did you do wrong?" Ron asked.

Wade shrugged.

"Wait, dude, you mean you're apologizing and you don't know why?" Ron spoke as though he'd solved a great mystery.

"Well, yeah" Wade confirmed, "I mean, she was angry about something. I figured I should just apologize and smooth it over."

"And you've been apologizing every day since then," Ron prodded.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure everything was OK," Wade sulked, "But she pretty much stopped talking to me, and hasn't returned any of my phone calls. At least not until today. She wants to meet me for lunch."

"OK", Ron said, thinking, "First, a couple of things about women."

"_You're_ giving me advice about women?" Wade asked doubtfully.

"Um, hello!" Ron said sarcastically, pointing at himself, "Mr. Kim Possible here. Apparently I must have done something right. You want to hear this or not?"

"Yeah," Wade acknowledged, "You're right, sorry."

"OK. When you know something's wrong and you ask your girlfriend…or your wife…'What's wrong?' she'll give you one of three answers. First, if she says 'Nothing's wrong', it means something IS wrong and she wants you to continue asking her what's wrong until you are ready to repeatedly bang your head against a wall, after which she will give subtle hints about what might be wrong instead of just coming out and telling you exactly what's bothering her. She may also give you the alternative to the first answer which is usually a variation of 'as if you didn't know' or 'you know what you did'. This, of course, misses the point of our asking the question in the first place. "

"But that's…" Wade scratched his head, "I'm confused."

"Good" Ron said enthusiastically, "That'll help. The first rule in understanding women is: 'you can't understand women!'"

"What's the second rule?"

"'You don't talk about Fight Club.'"

"That makes no sense."

"Exactly! You're well on your way to understanding women." Ron gushed, "Now, the second answer a woman usually gives when you ask her 'What's wrong', is "Oh, it's nothing big', this means there is a serious problem that may require days of talking and a little crying on her part. After which you may not completely comprehend what just happened, but at least the relationship is still going, she's stopped crying, and you can go back to playing video games without her accusing you of being insensitive."

"Um…OK. And what's the third answer to the question?" Wade was really curious now.

"Oh, the third answer is when she crosses her arms, doesn't even look at you and growls 'everything's fine' at which point you should start looking in the phone book for a divorce attorney." Ron said authoritatively.

"Wow."

"The point is, you gotta communicate. You can't just apologize and expect everything to smooth over because you said you're sorry. When you do that you're basically telling her you don't care enough about her to want to know what's troubling her. And repeatedly apologizing just drives home the point." Ron said, turning serious, "It's all about the communication."

"Should I write this down?" Wade asked.

"That's risky," Ron cautioned, "Because if she ever finds that you've written it down, she'll assume you were trying to get advice about what to do."

"Well, isn't that what I'm doing?"

"Yes, but she'll get upset because she thinks it's something you should have known all along and why did you talk to someone else about our problems instead of talking to me, Ron?" that last part got out of Ron's mouth before he realized it.

"Ah" Wade said with a grin, "So you got your advice from…"

"Her dad. Seems Kim and her mother have a lot in common." Ron admitted. "Look, I'll go with you to the restaurant for moral support. If it seems like everything's going badly, just look over at me and blink twice."

"Why?"

"I'd rather not say at this point. What time are you supposed to meet her?"

"Couple of hours."

"Same place she and Kim go to for lunch?"

"Yeah."

"OK", Ron acknowledged, "I'll be in the deli across the street with a pair of binoculars."

Ron tried to avoid Kim for the next hour or so, knowing she'd want to get lunch with him and not wanting to tell her why he was going to the deli. Of course she found him, and of course she tagged along. Ron wouldn't tell her the reason why they were going to the deli, however.

When Kim saw Monique go into the café across the street, she got up to go say 'hi'. Ron advised against it.

"She's meeting Wade for lunch," Ron informed her, "I think she's going to dump him."

Kim gasped, "And we came to spy on their break-up?"

"We didn't come to spy," Ron said, pulling a pair of binoculars out of a backpack.

Kim glared at him.

"Ronald Stopp-"

"Sssshhhhh!" he cut her off, "Not right now."

"Yes right now!" Kim insisted, "We are not going to spy on Wade and Mo-"

"Gotta go," Ron got up abruptly, bolted out the door and headed across the street.

While Monique was giving her lunch order to the waitress, Wade had turned his face toward the window and was blinking as earnestly as he could.

Kim trailed Ron across the street, asking him just what he thought he was doing.

"Wade!" Ron said cheerfully, sitting down at the table, "Sorry I'm early, but I was in the deli across the street. So did you guys have your talk yet? Did she dump you?"

"Ron!" Monique, Wade and Kim all said simultaneously.

"Jinx!" Ron said lightly, "You guys owe me three sodas."

"Ron", Monique said quietly, "Wade and I need to have a serious conversation."

"I know," Ron buzzed, "You're dumping him. And it's about time. So just do it and get it over with. Wade and I got mission stuff to talk about. Go ahead, I'll wait."

Wade's jaw dropped. Kim began tugging at his shirt collar.

"Excuse me?" Monique asked, glaring at him.

"I said 'It's about time'" Ron repeated in an annoyingly condescending voice, "Seriously, Monique, Wade's head just hasn't been in the game since you two started going out. Frankly, I'd appreciate it if you didn't see him anymore."

Kim gasped, "Ron!"

"Well, it's true. I mean, the kid's deeply in love with you, talks about you all the time, never shuts up about how great you are and how you're the best thing to ever happen to him. Sometimes he even does this during missions!" Ron continued.

Monique looked to Kim, who shrugged helplessly, and then Wade, who smiled sheepishly and turned red, then back to Ron, "And you think I shouldn't see him anymore because he's distracted during missions?"

"Precisely," Ron said, sounding overly serious, "We can't afford this kind of distraction on the team. In fact, I'm just going to come out and say it. Monique, I forbid you to see Wade anymore."

"Ron!" Wade finally managed to squeak in a shocked tone.

Anger flared up in Monique's eyes.

"All week Wade's been asking me the best way to tell you how much he loves you," Ron went on, ignoring her, "I told him he should bake a cake and leave it on your doorstep, but then I realized this whole thing has Wade all turned around. I need my boy's head back in the game."

"Now you listen to me, Mr. Stoppable," Monique could have flash frozen a truckload of corndogs with her stare.

"No, you listen to _me_, Miss Thang," Ron realized he'd just stepped across the line. Time to make an exit, "I got no more time for this silliness. End it with Wade now, please. I don't want to have to enforce my prohibition."

Ron got up, pretending to be in a huff, and stormed out, a confused and slightly miffed wife trailing after him.

"That's right," Monique called after him, "You better leave, Stoppable."

She turned to look at Wade, and though she originally looked as if she had a speech all planned out, she seemed to have forgotten it. Her demeanor softened a bit when she gazed at him. Monique appeared as though she had suddenly changed her mind about something.

"So you were trying to figure out how to tell me you loved me?" She asked softly.

"I…yes," Wade recovered, "Yes I was. Because I do. You're the best thing to ever happen to me, Monique. That's why I went crazy apologizing all the time. I got too afraid thinking I was going to lose you without telling you how I feel."

Monique melted, "I guess love can make people do crazy things."

"What about Ron's prohibition?" Wade was attempting to discover how she felt about him.

"That man's got some issues," Monique said coldly, "And no one on this earth is going to tell me who I can and can't have a relationship with."

Wade asked her what the original problem was when he apologized without knowing exactly what was wrong, and the conversation went from there.

Across the street at the deli, Kim just had one question for her husband, "Are you just crazy, Ron? Is that what the problem is?"

"Sometimes," he said through a mouthful of sandwich.

"How could you say something so mean? Where do you get off forbidding Monique to see Wade?"

"Oh, come on, Kim," Ron said with a wink, "You tell a woman she's forbidden to fall in love with someone and that's the _first_ thing she wants to do."

Kim looked at him, astonished. "So the whole thing was an act?"

"And a rather good one, if I do say so myself," Ron said cockily, "And I just did."

A slow smile spread across Kim's face. She looked at him through narrowed, mischievous eyes, "Ron Stoppable, I believe you have an evil streak in you."

"Well," He said in acknowledgment, "I was a villain once. Come on, didn't your dad ever tell you he didn't want you seeing someone?"

"Yeah", Kim said sheepishly, "He once said I was too young to date Walter Nelson."

"So _that's_ why you asked my mom to drive you to the orthodontist!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yeah. But I still got in trouble." Something occurred to Kim, "Hey, have you been talking to my-"

"Oh man, is that the time?" Ron blurted, looking at his wrist. He wasn't wearing a watch, "I gotta go see that guy at the place about that thing."

Ron rushed out of the deli. Kim having to pay the check gave him a head start.

That night, Wade got a four word e-mail: 'I love you too, baby'.

And Kim got an irate phone call.

"You tell that husband of yours he better stay away from me for a few days!" Monique fumed.

Ron sidled up to his wife and listened in on the conversation.

"I'll do that, Monique," Ron whispered to Kim.

"I'll do that, Monique", Kim repeated into the phone.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do it again," Ron continued whispering.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do it again," Kim passed it along to Monique.

"And maybe I'll give him a little spankin'," Ron concluded.

"And maybe I'll give him a little sp-… uh…speaking to. You know, tell him what he did was wrong," Kim shot daggers at her husband with her eyes.

Ron ran off laughing and waving his hands in the air; waving 'em like he just didn't care.

Kim exchanged a few more pleasantries with Monique and then excused herself from the conversation as quickly as she could.

"Ron Stoppable!" She shouted after putting down the phone, "You are SO DEAD!"

She ran off after him. The chase ended as all the good chases usually do.

In the hot tub.

* * *

Ron chuckled to himself.

"What?" Came the voice of his brother-in-law. Jim had been sitting quietly in the passenger seat of the Ninjet for the past two hours.

"What did you say?" Ron asked, turning to him.

"I thought _you_ said something," Jim said.

"Oh, no, sorry, I was just thinking about something and it made me laugh a little. You've been pretty quiet. What's up with you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just, you know, thinking." Jim said self-consciously.

"About Arianna?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Dude, she gave herself up and then asked you for your e-mail address. Even I could connect the dots on that one."

"She's really something," Jim said quietly.

"She's also a villain," Ron reminded him, "I could be mistaken but I'm willing to bet Global Justice has a 'no dating villains' policy."

Ron checked their position on the GPS and banked slightly to the left, then straightened the aircraft out again.

"I'm sure you're right," Jim agreed, "But she's so smart, and so gorgeous…"

"No argument here," Ron acknowledged, "And she's a tad bit evil. Sorry to put it like that but trying to take over South America wasn't exactly a humanitarian effort."

Jim said nothing in response. Ron decided to change the subject.

"Hey…um, I'm not sure if I should be asking you about this. But have you heard anything about the 'Chronos' project?"

Jim nodded, "Something my brother's working on, but he won't tell me anything about it. Says it's Top Secret. How did you find out about it?"

"I got an encrypted GJ e-mail from him yesterday saying he needs my help with it. And not to discuss it with anyone, even you or Kim." Ron said hesitantly.

"You want me to ask him about it?" Jim queried.

"No", Ron said hurriedly, "I've just breached security by asking you about it. I don't want him to get in trouble. Or you or myself for that matter."

"So why'd you ask me about it?" Jim persisted.

Ron shrugged, "It's my first Top Secret operation. I guess it just felt weird not talking to family members about it."

"It's no big," Jim informed him, "'Top Secret' status on a project is almost always a temporary thing. As soon as the project is complete, GJ distributes a memo detailing the project and its outcome. It was like this for me at first. Tim always had secret projects going that I didn't know about. I would get miffed when he wouldn't tell me about them, but eventually everything would be revealed and I could see why they kept it a secret."

"Oh, OK," Ron said casually, "Makes sense."

A soft beeping came from the main control panel.

"We're approaching Middleton," Ron told his passenger, "I'm gonna slow down to subsonic velocity. You want me to drop you off at your house or GJHQ?"

"Where are you going?" Jim asked him.

"Home," Ron answered, "I need a shower and I'm starving. I figured in light of the Arianna situation, I'd let you file the paperwork on this mission."

"Aw, man," Jim complained, "I've got school tomorrow, and a ton of homework already."

"Well then," Ron took on a lecturer's tone, "Maybe this will teach you not to fall in love with a villain."

Jim gave his brother-in-law a dirty look.

Suddenly, an alarm.

"Someone's got a lock on us!" Ron shouted.

Then, a more urgent sounding alarm.

"Inbound missile!" Jim hollered, he turned around in his seat to peer out the tiny rear window.

From outside they could hear several loud hissing noises as flares and chaff burst from the rear of the car.

"Countermeasures deploying," Ron said loudly, "I'm going to try some evasive maneuvers!"

Ron pushed the throttle forward, then pushed forward on the steering wheel, sending the Ninjet into a vertical dive. The alarms continued.

"Missile still inbound," Jim began to panic, "The countermeasures aren't working!"

Ron pulled lightly out of the dive, rolled to the right, then rolled abruptly to the left and banked hard over.

"Impact in three seconds!" Jim shouted, "Where's the ejector release?"

_Three._

Ron frantically pushed a large red button on the center of the control panel. Nothing happened.

_Two._

"The ejector's been disabled!" Ron's voice was terrified, "Can you open your door?"

_One._

"I'm trying, but the thing's –"

_Zero._

THWACK!

Something heavy thumped against the roof of the Ninjet. Ron and Jim looked at each other. Kim's face appeared on the view screen.

"Tag!" She said lightly, "You're it!"

"Huh?"

"Guys?" Wade's face appeared on the screen, "You wanna pull out of the dive? The ground's comin' up pretty fast!"

Ron and Jim peered out the windshield and both let out a simultaneous yell as Ron pulled back hard on the steering wheel. The Ninjet just barely missed the tops of the trees as it shot back into the sky again. Ron leveled off and punched a call button on his view screen.

"What was that, Wade?" He demanded.

"That was just me." Kim's voice sang out.

Off the passenger side of the Ninjet, another, smaller aircraft pulled even with them. Both men stared at it without speaking for a few seconds.

"It's…it's…" Ron stuttered.

"It's a flying Mini Cooper!" Jim finished for him.

And so it was. Creamy white with two pink racing stripes that ran up the hood, across the roof, and down the back, the wheels were folded up neatly under the body while shields were in place over the wheel wells, giving the appearance that there were no wheel wells at all. Instead of four small wings near each wheel well like the Ninjet, there were two larger wings that folded out from the rear of the body of the car, with a hydro-jet engine mounted on each wing, close to the car's body. When the wings folded, the engines would retract into the rear of the car and the wings themselves would form part of the rear body panels, giving the car a seamless appearance in drive mode. A spoiler mounted on the rear of the roof gave added stability and functioned as the craft's elevator, much like the spoiler on the Ninjet. The rear interior of the craft had been cleared to make room for various equipment as well as the engines while in drive mode, leaving only enough room for two people up front.

"That's like, the Spritekin of the car world!" Ron observed.

Kim looked over, smiled, and blew a kiss.

"I think that's for you," Jim said.

"I hope so," Ron replied, "Otherwise that's just disturbing."

"What do you think of the Kimjet?" Wade appeared on the screen again.

"I'll let you know once I'm done with my heart attack," Ron snapped, "You could have warned us."

"Yeah, sorry," Wade apologized, "Just wanted to test some of the Kimjet's capabilities. Not warning you ahead of time was Kim's idea."

"My bad!" Kim said cheerfully, "So are you going to try and shoot me down now, or what?"

"Wade?", Ron looked to the view screen.

"I loaded five drone missiles this morning, they behave and function like standard missiles but are non-explosive and won't harm either of the vehicles. Your computers are linked together and will register a 'hit' any time one of the drone missiles comes in contact with either vehicle. Just access the projectiles menu and click on the "misc." icon."

Ron did so, and an indicator on a smaller screen on the dashboard showed five missiles loaded and waiting. Ron pulled up a three dimensional heads-up display. A tiny version of the Kimjet floated up in front of him, along with a set of cross hairs and other electronic indicators.

Kim pushed her craft into a shallow dive and increased her speed.

Ron looked at Jim, "You got a few minutes?"

Jim shrugged and grinned, "To help you shoot down my big sister? Sure, why not?"

Ron dropped in behind her and continued diving at a much steeper angle. At five hundred feet above ground, he leveled off. The Kimjet popped up on the HUD again and Ron steadied the aircraft to get a lock.

Kim rolled over to an inverted position, then pulled back on the steering wheel, bringing the craft through a half loop that ended with her leveling off and headed straight at her husband.

"Dude," Jim said nervously.

"I know," Ron answered.

"This is Kim we're talking about. I don't think she's ever lost a game of chicken in her life!" Jim reminded him.

Ron suddenly lost his concentration on the targeting system.

Once, in Junior High school, Ron challenged her to a game of chicken with their bikes. Ron almost got a concussion, and Kim took a handlebar in the mouth. She wound up having to get braces to fix the damage. Ron tried to turn his bike away at the last second, but Kim never so much as twitched her arms. He always remembered the look of fierce determination on her face; Kim would never turn away. Ever.

She came straight at them.

Losing his nerve, Ron rolled to the right and banked away as Kim shot through his jetwash.

Jim looked wildly about but couldn't see her. Ron circled back around, neither of them saying anything for a couple of seconds. Then Ron spoke up:

"Talk to me, Goose."

"I lost her in the sun," Jim said, chuckling, "She could be anywhere by now."

"There!" Ron shouted, pointing upward.

A small white speck was moving away from them at high velocity. She had gone into a vertical climb, nose pointed straight upward.

Ron pushed the throttle forward and pulled back on the steering wheel.

"She's gone ballistic," Jim hollered, "Go get 'er, man!"

The Ninjet surged upward, gaining rapidly on the Mini. Ron pulled the image of the other aircraft up on the Heads Up Display again. This time he had her.

Kim slowed way down, forcing Ron to do the same as he worked to get a lock.

"Uh…Ron?" Jim was looking up.

The driver's side window of the Kimjet was down. Kim extended her arm, holding a small drone missile in her hand. She let go of it.

"Aw, you gotta be kidding me!" Ron panicked and pushed the steering wheel forward, which offered the drone a larger target.

THWACK!

"That's two for me!" Kim's smiling face appeared on the screen, "First one to three gets to pick the movie tonight."

"I love how you make up rules late in the game." Ron muttered.

He shoved the throttle forward and streaked toward the ground.

Kim dropped in behind him and moved to get a lock.

"Hit the countermeasures", Ron told his passenger.

Jim searched the panel and found the appropriate button. Loud hissing noises were heard once again as flares and chaff erupted from the rear of the Ninjet.

Kim, unsure of what was happening, backed off while Ron took advantage of the situation and increased his speed. He headed for the mountains and flew into a canyon.

Kim watched him carefully until she lost sight of him in the canyon, then moved off in pursuit. She headed toward the other end of the canyon and went into hover mode once she arrived, waiting for him to emerge.

Alarms went off as a missile homed in on her.

THWACK!

Kim looked wildly about and finally saw her husband's car, parked on the rim of the canyon. Halfway through, he had engaged the all-terrain drive mode and drove up the rim, firing once he got a lock. She was expecting him to be in the air, and never once looked to the ground.

Kim hovered in low as Ron got out of the car. He strolled over to where she was hovering some fifteen feet off the ground, his hands folded neatly behind his back.

"You gotta admit, that was pretty clever of me." Ron bubbled.

"OK, hot shot, that's one for-"

THWACK!

"You're not the only one who can throw a missile drone! Two to two, baby!" Ron cackled as he sprinted back to his car.

Kim turned her craft toward his and attempted to get a lock, but he was already moving. Ron drove straight beneath her and plunged off the cliff side, throwing the Ninjet into flight mode and pulling back on the steering wheel while pushing the throttle all the way forward. It barely cleared the far wall of the canyon, then streaked off into the sky. Kim went after it.

After a minute or two of vertical climbing, Ron pulled all the way back on the throttle and allowed the upward momentum of the Ninjet to stall out. Falling back toward the ground, he throttled up again and spotted Kim, zipping along the ground, heading toward a distant lake. So she had a sub mode too? Ron increased speed and began to zero in on his wife.

Just before he was able to get a lock, Kim pulled up and went vertical once more. Unwilling to be done in by the same trick twice, Ron kept his distance at a slightly skewed angle, always keeping in her blind spot. This time, flares and chaff erupted from _her_ car.

Ron didn't flinch, but kept after her. The flares left a huge puff of smoke between them, and when Ron burst through it, the Mini Cooper was already in a vertical dive once more. Ron throttled back and spun in mid-air, throttling up when the Ninjet was once more pointed toward the ground.

The Kimjet was in a steep dive but seemed to be descending a little more slowly this time. Ron moved in on her and got a lock. Something thumped onto the roof of his car. Then that something peeked her head over the top of the windshield. She was wearing a jumpsuit and a parachute pack, and holding a missile drone.

Dumbfounded, Ron watched as she slid down the windshield, and tucked the drone under the windshield wiper. Then she waved, pointed to herself and held up three fingers.

"You know, if she'll give me her chute, I can skydive home from here," Jim said.

"Do it", Ron said to his brother-in-law.

The car still in freefall, the passenger door slid up and Kim made her way around to it.

"Hey! You!" Ron shouted at his wife, "Get into my car!"

"Who, me?" Kim shouted back, pointing innocently at herself.

"Yes you!" Ron confirmed, "Get out of my dreams and into my car!"

"I think I'm gonna hurl," Jim said, "You guys are seriously nauseating."

Once inside, Kim slipped the parachute off and gave it to her brother, who couldn't seem to get it on fast enough. Once he was away, Ron pulled the car out of freefall and set a course for home. He pulled Wade up on the view screen.

"Wade, I know you're piloting the Kimjet. Do me a favor, have yourself picked up in it and meet us at our place. We've got a present for you." Ron informed him.

"Sure thing," Wade confirmed.

"So," Kim gushed, "I win. I get to pick the movie."

"Nope," Ron countered, "Sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"You blew yourself up with that last one. I mean, it was a pretty sweet move, but if it were a real missile, you'd be just as dead as me."

Kim opened her mouth to speak and found she couldn't. Her jaw dropped open.

"Well," she said, thinking fast, "Then you killed yourself by throwing that second one at me, which means I still win, two to one."

"Um, no, I was only severely injured." Ron stated casually.

"Which means you could not have piloted the Ninjet," Kim countered.

Silence. Then a frustrated sigh.

"OK", Ron admitted, "You won. You get to pick the movie. But I've been in South America all day so there's no guarantee I'll stay awake for it. Anyway, I need a shower."

Kim leaned over and sniffed the air, "Yeah you do!"

* * *

Twilight deepened into evening over the Tri-City museum in Middleton. A lone figure perched in a nearby tree watched patiently as the last of the day's museum visitors filed out the door and a security guard locked it behind them.

For the last eight months, Monkey Fist had been in Middleton, doing the occasional chore or grunt work for the unseen Apollyon. After a time, he began to wonder if there really was a plan, or if he'd been duped by some unseen entity into performing a few menial tasks.

He pulled out his pocket watch. Ten minutes left until shift change. Apollyon promised he would somehow have the security systems and alarms shut down. Monkey Fist didn't know how Apollyon would accomplish this, but didn't ask questions either. Somehow his unseen benefactor seemed to have all the answers.

When Apollyon originally informed him about the Tempus Simia idol, he was overcome with an intense feeling of déjà vu. Monkey Fist was convinced he had heard of this idol somewhere before, but when he tried to recall where, it was like trying to remember a dream he had last week that was particularly good but was unsure of the details.

No matter.

The moment Apollyon explained the potential power of the idol, Monkey Fist would have gladly pledged his undying devotion to him then and there. It never occurred to him to doubt Apollyon. The mysterious villain had done all he said he would do up to this point, and now world domination was within reach. Stoppable was his only concern. But Apollyon explained that his arch foe was now a GJ agent, and was being kept quite busy. All he had to do was assemble to two parts of the idol, and then he would be given instructions as to what to do next.

He looked at his watch again. It was time.

Monkey Fist dropped silently from his tree perch and moved through the shadows to the front door. If all had been done as Apollyon promised-

Right on time, the power went out. The electric locks on the front doors clicked open, and Monkey Fist slipped inside. The rest was up to him. All he had to do was avoid the guards, grab the idol, and slip back out the door in the next three minutes. He would have preferred to simply disable the guards, but Apollyon was adamant about this. No contact with them whatsoever. It had to look like an ordinary theft, not the work of a supervillain.

He bounded through the shadows, silent as a ghost, reaching the room which contained the Tempus Simia idol. Or at least the lower half of it.

Monkey Fist froze.

There was a guard in the room, swinging a flashlight about, making sure everything was as it should be.

Two minutes left.

Monkey Fist began to panic. In one hundred and twenty seconds, the power would be back on, as would the electric locks, the security cameras and the motion sensors. Should he disable the guard?

As though his thoughts had made a noise, the guard began investigating that half of the room where Monkey Fist was hiding. He crouched behind a pedestal and held his breath. The guard swung the flashlight back and forth, checking everywhere.

No choice now, he would have to knock out the guard.

The uniformed man came within three feet of Fist's hiding place, then turned and began walking away from him, toward the pedestal on which the idol sat. Monkey Fist took a couple of deep breaths, then tip-toed… or I guess you'd say 'tip-handed'… toward the back of the guard.

Fist raised his hand to strike when the guards' flashlight blinked out. Everything was in total darkness.

"Terrific," The guard muttered, and began exiting the room.

Monkey fist grabbed the idol and bounded for the door. Three feet out the other side of the front door, he heard the locks click into place while the lights came back up. Monkey Fist bolted, hoping no one had seen him.

A short while later, he was seated before his laptop.

'I have it', he typed.

_Well done. There is a charter plane waiting for you at the airport. I believe it will take quite some time to find the second half of the idol._

'Where do you suggest I look?'

_From what I have learned, the two halves were separated for fear the power of the idol would fall into the wrong hands. The section you now possess was originally unearthed near St. Petersburg, Russia. Assuming the other half was taken as far from yours as possible, I would search the extreme southern hemisphere; South Africa, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, perhaps some of the southern Polynesian Islands. Legend states that when the body of the idol nears its upper half, the cymbals will begin to clap together. That is as much as I know._

'And once I have the complete idol?'

_One step at a time, Montgomery. Find the head first, then we'll proceed from there._

Monkey Fist began to pack his things.

* * *

Wade stared at the set of keys in the palm of his hand. He had just been given an unexpected gift.

"It's mine?" He asked, confused.

"All yours, buddy," Ron said, beaming.

"But…," Still confused, "Why?"

"Why not?" Kim countered. She had just given Wade his gift and still had an arm around his shoulders in a friendly gesture of support.

Wade suddenly wished Monique was there. She had to work late at the store again. Unable to stray too far from her Club Banana roots, Monique had majored in business in college, and opened her own boutique clothing store in downtown Middleton. All her clothing lines were original, and business was good, if not great. Sometimes she had to work long hours. Tonight was no exception.

"I guess I feel like I just don't deserve this," Wade said timidly.

"Oh come on!" Ron said rolling his eyes, "Reduce the voltage on the drama generator, dude. It's not about whether you deserve it, it's about whether or not we want you to have it."

"And we want you to," Kim said encouragingly.

"But I've never given you guys anything like this," Wade protested.

"Oh," Kim said with a sarcastic tone, "Good point. Wade's never done anything for us, right Ron?"

"Yeah," Ron said in mock agreement, "It's not like he cloned Rufus, and gave me back the friend I thought was gone forever."

"And it's not like he broke up my wedding and tried to save me from marrying Deathray." Kim put in.

"Which would include facing down a giant mechanical beast with disintegrator rays while Wade had no weapons whatsoever," Ron added., "Plus, anyone could have sprung me out of that hospital when I was a wanted fugitive."

"OK," Wade said sheepishly, "You've made your point."

"Hey," Ron protested, "We haven't even gotten to all the stuff you did for us in high school and college!"

Then Ron stepped up to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder, "And let's not forget the night you called Kim in to save me when I drowned in Deathray's lair."

"I-" Wade began.

"You saved my life," Ron said quietly, "I owe you more than I can possibly repay."

"And you helped save me from a life as the wife of a super villain," Kim added, then reached for Wade's hand, and closed his fist around the set of keys, "Take the ranch house. I can't think of a more perfect use for it than as your home."

"I…" Wade began in a choked voice, "I just don't… you guys are…"

"We love you too, man," Ron said with conviction.

Kim gave her friend a hug. "So you need help moving in?" She asked cheerfully.

Wade shook his head, still in disbelief, "Probably. I have to tell my parents about this. Mom will probably laugh and cry at the same time."

"Come on," Kim said heading for the door, "I'll take you home. Maybe we can drop by the store so you can tell Monique the good news!"

"See you tomorrow, buddy," Ron called.

Wade turned and threw Ron a dazed sort of wave.

Ron smiled and headed upstairs to shower.

Twenty minutes later he was clean, refreshed, and lying in bed, waiting for Kim to come home. But, as I am sure you know full well, a long day followed by a hot shower means you'll probably be asleep within five minutes of crawling into bed, especially if you're trying to stay awake.

Ron began to dream…

* * *

"Observe what you see here, and remember," Came a hauntingly familiar voice.

The bridges across the chasm had been destroyed. Smoke rose from within the compound of the school. The cries of the wounded and grieving were carried to Ishigawa's ears by the wind. He smiled at this.

The lord of the Satsuma province had placed his archers at high positions all around the school. Three times each hour, they would fire a volley of flame-tipped arrows upon the school. They didn't bother trying to aim. The point was to keep those within busy dealing with fire while his Samurai climbed up the faces of the cliffs surrounding the school. He had sent a contingent of warriors to climb the peak of Mt. Yamanuchi itself. Any minute they would begin descending toward the school as well.

Soon, the Ohana blades would be his.

A shout went up from some of the archers near him. Ishigawa turned to his aid, expecting a report.

"Our archers have observed one of the students has caught fire, Ishigawa-sama," The aid informed him, "He is running wildly about in a panic. Already he has set fire to two buildings."

Again Ishigawa smiled. With an almost imperceptible nod of the head, he dismissed the aid and returned to his observance of the compound. Already, some of the Samurai climbers were in view. They would soon reach the walls. And though there were many inside who were trained in the ways of Ninjitsu, it was very likely their resolve had been worn down by the siege, already in its ninth day.

Suddenly, a green, glowing spherical shape appeared above the walls of the compound. It hovered for an instant, then began moving directly toward Ishigawa. Though some of those around him retreated in a panic, Ishigawa remained unmoved. He knew his old Master had come to pay him a visit.

Within the sphere, Sensei sat cross-legged with his arms spread out on either side, as though he were holding the floating sphere together in this manner. When he reached the Satsuma lord, the sphere dissipated and Sensei lowered his legs, standing before his former pupil. And unfamiliar look of rage was plastered upon his face.

"What must be done to end this madness?" Sensei demanded, his voice shaking.

"As I stated before," Ishigawa said calmly, "I have need of the Ohana Blades."

"You do not know the power they possess," Sensei insisted, "You must not ask this of me."

"I am not asking this of you," Ishigawa said coldly, "I am commanding it."

Sensei regarded him with unwavering eyes.

"I will send the Blades to you," He said at last.

Ishigawa bowed low.

Sensei turned without acknowledgment and was enveloped once again by the greenish, glowing sphere. It carried him back across the chasm and over the wall of the school.

Ishigawa turned to his generals, "Recall the troops and assemble them on the slope beyond the waterfall."

"Hai, Ishigawa-sama," they bowed and hurriedly moved off to pass along the orders.

Ishigawa turned to his aid, "Have my horse ready for-"

He was interrupted by a deafening, thunderous roar. All eyes turned fearfully to the school. Standing atop the wall, one foot on either side of the gate, was a thirty foot tall gorilla. It was black save for a white blotch on one hand. Both fists were clenched as it bellowed, the roar echoing and re-echoing off the walls of the ravine and the peaks of Yamanuchi and nearby mountains.

Ishigawa's army froze. Even battle-hardened Samurai were suddenly awash in fear. Ishagawa involuntarily stepped back several paces, his eyes wide.

The Gorilla hopped from the wall to the space between the wall and the edge of the cliff. The earth rumbled beneath everyone's feet. Several of the Samurai were shaken from their cliff-side positions and fell, screaming, into the ravine. The gorilla crouched and swung a massive arm long the cliff edge, hurling even more Samurai into the river far below. Then it stood up and looked around, surveying the situation.

In a silent instant, the gorilla suddenly became a huge falcon. It flapped its wings and took to the air. In large circles, it climbed through the air above the school and began plucking enemy soldiers from the cliffs. The students below were compelled to take shelter as the bodies of enemy soldiers rained down upon the mountaintop compound.

Satisfied it had dispatched enough soldiers, the bird alighted on the ridge, on the near side of the chasm and was suddenly transformed into a gorilla again.

Roughly fifty archers clustered together in a group and made ready to loose their arrows at the behemoth creature. Just as they were drawing their strings, the gorilla extended its right hand, palm outward. Light blazed forth from its outstretched hand and engulfed the group of archers.

They were struck blind.

Then the gorilla bounded off after a group of sword-bearing soldiers who were being rallied for an attack on the beast. The Gorilla pulled up short and stamped its foot on the ground some fifty yards away from the rallying soldiers. The earth rumbled, and a crack shot through the ground, quick as lightning toward the sword-bearers. The ground opened up beneath their feet, swallowed them into the earth, and re-closed.

The gorilla swung another fist and suddenly it was enveloped in a field of utter blackness. No one could see through it, and thus had no idea exactly where the gorilla was. The blackness became larger and larger, encompassing a good deal of the slope beyond the waterfall. And though light could not penetrate it, sound was another matter. Ishigawa heard the clash of metal, the roars of the gorilla and the screams of his dying soldiers. The earth occasionally rumbled and at some points visible to Ishigawa, he watched as it opened up and swallowed whole companies of his men. Arrows sailed into the darkness but apparently never found their target. Beams of light shot forth from the dark field and blinded archers.

Abruptly, the darkness withdrew and the gorilla stood amidst the chaos and destruction, surveying its work. When it spied Ishigawa, it instantly changed into a monstrous snake. The serpent was upon him in an instant, enveloping him within the folds of its coils, preparing to squeeze the life from his body.

But then it hesitated. Lifting its head up as though hearing a call, it released Ishigawa and once more assumed the form of the thirty-foot-tall gorilla.

Ishigawa cowered at its feet, afraid to even look up into its terrible face.

"I send the Blades to you and yet you do not possess them as you said you would," came a familiar voice.

Sensei was just stepping down from within the now dissipating green sphere.

"Why do you not kill me?" Ishagawa pleaded.

"Death in battle is reserved for those with honor. Your soldiers earned that honor by following your commands, though they were ill conceived orders," Sensei replied calmly, "To you I grant the task of living with the shame you have brought upon yourself."

Ishigawa looked at the remains of his army and hung his head. He stood up, then suddenly lunged at Sensei, drawing his sword. A massive gorilla hand clamped down upon him before he could carry out his murderous intent, though it did not kill him.

"Away from me," Sensei commanded, retrieving Ishigawa's horse for him, "Live in your shame, and do not darken my gates again."

The gorilla picked up Ishigawa and set him roughly down on the back of his horse. Sensei slapped the horse's backside and it took off at a gallop.

The gorilla turned to look at Sensei.

_What is thy bidding?_

* * *

Ron sat bolt upright.

The gorilla didn't utter any words. He had heard its thoughts.

Was this real? Was this something that happened? And if so, what was Sensei doing there?

It was time to go to Yamanuchi and seek answers.

"Sweetie?" Kim's voice. She had been awakened when he sat up.

"Hey," he said softly, "Sorry I woke you up."

"It's all right," She reassured, "That dream again?"

"Yeah, much more detailed this time."

Ron described to her the new elements of the dream, including the thought he heard coming from the gorilla.

"So when do we go?" She asked, guessing his intent.

"You sure you want to come with me? You don't have to." He offered.

"Yes I do," she insisted, "I'm your wife, Ron. What happens to you happens to me. Where you go, I go. And don't even try to tell me you wouldn't come with me if the situation were reversed."

Ron couldn't argue with her when she was right. He was grateful for her undying support, "Do you know how much I love you?"

"I think I might," she said quietly with a smile.

"Well that's good," he responded, "Because I don't think I do. They haven't invented words yet that are adequate enough to describe my feelings for you."

She gently pulled him back down to the pillow and kissed him; tenderly, lovingly.

"I know what you mean," She whispered.

He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his chest with a contented sigh.

"I'll get the clearances from GJ and we'll go to Japan next week," Ron suggested.

"Works for me," she said sleepily.

Kim slept. Ron lay awake, mulling the dream over in his head. He didn't fall asleep again for quite awhile.

Ron spent the early part of the day meeting with Senior Director of Operations Wil Du, and getting the necessary clearances to take a week or two away from his duties.

Director Du did have one stipulation, however. He'd received an encrypted e-mail from Tim Possible requesting Ron's participation in the Chronos project. He ordered Ron to give his full participation in the project over the next few days, and then gave him leave to go to Japan.

Ron and Rufus were having lunch with Kim and Monique at an outdoor café when a bike messenger pulled up to the curb with an overnight envelope.

"I'm looking for Ron Stoppable!", he called out.

"Here," Ron said, raising his hand. His wife threw an inquisitive glance at him.

Ron signed for the package and opened the envelope. The only thing inside was a cell phone, which rang as soon as he pulled it out.

Ron looked at his wife, shrugged, and then answered it.

"Morpheus?" Ron said into the phone, "Is that you?"

"I _knew_ you were going to say that!" Came Tim's voice from the other end, "Ya big doofus."

"What's with the cloak and dagger?" Ron asked, then silently mouthed the words 'It's Tim' to his wife and her best friend."

"Um…hello? Top secret project." Tim cracked, "It's a scrambled and untraceable line. A cab is going to pull up in front of the café. Get in and it'll take you where you need to go."

"OK if Rufus comes along?" Ron asked.

"Uh…" Tim sounded like he was thinking, "Sure, I don't see why not."

Sure enough, a yellow taxicab pulled up in front of the café.

"Tell Kim I said 'hi'," Tim said.

Ron hung up the phone, kissed his wife and said goodbye to her and Monique.

Twenty minutes later, the cab pulled up to an non-descript office building. The cell phone rang again.

"Take the elevator to the fifth floor, walk down the hall and let yourself in the door at the far end. I'm in a lab two doors down, and I'll be right in. Go ahead and take a seat in the chair if you want. It'll be the only place in the room you can sit." Tim's voice instructed him.

Ron did as he was told.

The room was bare, had no windows and no other doors, and didn't have much space that wasn't occupied by the chair. The chair itself looked like a dentist's chair, but there wasn't much else to it. Two small pieces of metal extended six inches out on either side of the headrest. There didn't seem to be anything else in the room.

Ron sat down and made himself comfortable. He took Rufus out of his pocket and told him to stay out of the way. Rufus walked sleepily over to a corner, curled up, and went to sleep.

Ron sat there, staring at the roof for three minutes. There was one light fixture dead center in the ceiling.

Then suddenly there were two.

"Whoa!" Ron hollered, putting his hands up in front of him. He saw four of his own hands for a second, then the double vision faded away. He sat up and looked around, blinking.

The door burst open and Tim rushed in.

"I thought I heard you shout," Tim said in a concerned voice, "Something happen?"

"I had double vision for a second there." Ron said, a little dizzy, "Is this part of Chronos?"

"No," Tim said, sounding worried, "I haven't even begun the test yet. Describe what you saw."

Ron did so, telling of how there suddenly two lights, and four hands, and then how half of everything faded away and it was all right again.

Tim examined his brother-in-law, and studied his eyes with a pen light.

"Everything seems to be OK," Tim declared, "Any dizziness?"

"A little."

"OK," Tim said emphatically, "I want you to go home and get some rest, we'll start up again tomorrow. I'll have a cab pick you up at your house about 9 a.m. If you get any more double vision, I want you to call me. You still have the phone?"

Ron took it out of his pocket.

"Mine's the only number programmed into it. Call me any time you need to."

"Sure", Ron said shrugging, "I feel fine, now. We can continue…"

Tim threw him a dismissive wave, "Don't worry about it. I need you in peak form. I knew I should have just waited until tomorrow, but I was too eager to begin. My bad. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, no problem," Ron said amiably, "Rufus!"

Rufus woke up, stretched, then scampered up into his friend's pocket.

Ron walked down the hall toward the elevator. Just before he got there, an image seemed to materialize in front of him. He pulled up short, a little startled.

It didn't necessarily look odd. What he saw seemed to be a lab with electronic equipment, and a few office chairs placed here and there. What _was_ odd about it was the fact that it was right in front of the elevator doors. There were no sounds, or glowing borders around the edge of the image, just an image of a lab, as though someone had cut out a picture of part of a lab, and stuck it over a picture of a set of elevator doors.

The a voice came from within the image, "Ron."

Again, nothing particularly odd about it. No echo effects or electronic sounding voice. In fact, it sounded eerily familiar.

"It's OK, Ron," The voice said, "This is part of the Chronos project. Go ahead and step into the image."

Ron took a tentative step forward and put his hand through. He didn't feel anything strange.

"Just take your time and step through when you feel comfortable doing so," again the voice sounded familiar.

Finally, Ron simply stepped forward, closing his eyes and holding his breath.

"You can open your eyes and breathe now." Came the voice.

Ron did so and looked to the source of the voice. He found he was indeed standing in a sort of laboratory. The man who had spoken was standing about four feet away, was wearing a lab coat and had his arms folded in front of him. He looked to be in his early fifties, had graying hair and a big smile on his face.

"Dr. Possible?" Ron said.

The man laughed, "You're thinking of my father! Ron, it's me! It's Tim!"

"Uh…Tim? My brother-in-law? _That_ Tim?" Ron asked, confused.

"Yep! Welcome to the future, Ron!"


	7. VI

Thanks bunches to: Kimberly Ann Possible, BabyMama9672, Widow Shark, Sestren NK, recon228, Sand Lord, kemiztri, JPMod, Classic Cowboy, Spooks-A-Lot, Jokerdaking, Potential Boy, Jezrianna 2.0, Cold-Chaos, Mobius97, aimtbj, Dreammergurl2007, and Willk1989.

Special thanks to: LKillingsworth, for the time and effort you put into reviews that I think might actually be longer than a lot of actual fics!

Story highlight: Check out faithful reader Sestren NK's story "The Sociopath Episode" (The title alone is cool), he has an interesting take on villainy by creating a KP nemesis who seems more human than cartoonish. You'll find the story in his profile.

Author's note: You might have some questions by the end of this chapter. And that's OK. I ask you to bear with me, as there are a few details that cannot be revealed until later in the story. But I am fairly confident all explanations for seeming inconsistencies will suffice by then end of this tale (and if they don't, then I definitely want to know about it).

If you don't like cliffhangers, you might want to duck. I'm about to hit you with two of 'em…

* * *

VI.

* * *

"Welcome to the what now?"

Tim laughed. Ron looked around. The lab was low-lit, with all kinds of strange electronic devices humming and blinking. He turned around, expecting to see an image of the office building hallway he was just in, but it was gone.

"I had to close the portal as soon as you came through," Tim said good-naturedly, "Can't keep it open or bad stuff happens."

"Yeah," Ron said, confused, "OK. You can send me back, though, right?"

Tim shook his head gravely, "I'm afraid this was a one way trip."

Ron's eyes went wide.

"Kidding!" Tim said laughing boisterously, "Come on, you don't think I'd really do that to you, do ya?"

"Yeah," Ron said, laughing nervously, "Good one."

"Oh, would you relax?" Tim said with a dismissive wave, "I think most people would be interested in visiting the future."

"I guess so," Ron admitted, "So this is what Chronos was all about?"

"Yep!" Tim said with a smile, he moved around behind a bank of electronic equipment and seemed to be taking some readings, "I've been working on this project since that day you came to see me at my off-sight lab. Which I guess for you would be today, huh?"

Tim seemed to think this was very funny and laughed long and loud. Ron found it kind of awkward.

"I'm sorry," Tim said wiping a mirthful tear from his eye, "I guess when you've been working on a project this long, you start to go a little crazy. I thought you should be the first to try it out, since I did ask for your help all those years ago… or today as is the case from your perspective. Do you feel any kind of ill effects from what you just experienced?"

"I'm still a little dizzy from the double vision thing," Ron told him.

"The double-? Oh, right!" He seemed to just remember it, "You said you had some vision trouble that first day I asked you to come in."

"Yeah."

"Wow," Tim said turning serious, "I can't even begin to guess exactly how many years ago that was. I suppose I look pretty old to you, huh?"

"A little," Ron admitted.

"I'm actually fifty-six years old. Gosh, I was eighteen when I began work on Chronos…" He trailed off.

"Dude, you've been working on this project for almost forty years?" Ron asked in wonder.

"Well," Tim admitted, "Note solely. Actually, this thing's been more of a hobby of mine. I knew it would work eventually, I just needed for the right technology to be invented. Most of this stuff was designed and built by Wade."

"Hey," Ron said, suddenly curious, "Is Wade-?"

Tim held up his hands to silence Ron, "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Why?"

"Frankly, time travel is something new. You're the first person in – heh heh – 'history' to actually move from one point in the Time Continuum to another. In other words, you're the first person to ever successfully travel through time."

"OK" Ron said, "But what about Wade?"

"Well," Tim looked a little uncomfortable, "That's just it. I'm afraid I can't tell you about your family or friends. It could cause you to make decisions and take actions you otherwise might not have, and that could have devastating consequences."

"But you-" Ron began.

"Yes," Tim acknowledged, "I'm technically a friend of yours, I know. But see, I'm prepared not to discuss anything with you that might affect your future. Discipline of a scientist and all that. But there's something else – and you gotta admit this is pretty cool – see, when you get back to your own time, you're going to tell me that Chronos is a success. That'll give me the motivation to stay with it all these years. Pretty nifty little Causality Loop, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess," Ron sounded disappointed, "Why did you call yourself a 'friend' of mine? I thought you were family?"

Tim's face clouded over for the briefest of seconds, then he smiled again, "Sorry, man, old habit. I mean, you still kind of look like you did before you and Kim got married."

"So what' up with Kim?" Ron persisted, "Can't you at least tell me how she's doing? She's gotta be, like, in her upper sixties?"

"I'm sorry, Ron," Tim said sympathetically, "I just can't answer that. Tell you what I can do, though, I can show you around Middleton. You can see the school, your old house, stuff like that. I think you'll agree we've got some pretty cool stuff here in the future."

"Well," Ron said doubtfully, already he wasn't liking time travel, "Maybe I should be getting back."

"Alright," Tim said, disappointment creeping into his voice, "But just remember, I can send you back any time, even back to the moment you stepped through the portal. It'd be like you never left."

Ron looked around, thinking for a moment. After all, here was an opportunity to check out all the cool stuff that had been invented in the last forty years. Ron's doubt and trepidation began to fade.

"So," He said at last, "They got flying cars in the future?"

Tim smiled at him, "Wait until you see 'em."

* * *

"What's the sitch, Wade?"

"Hey Kim, Ron's still not home?"

You mean you don't know?" She said in mock surprise. "I thought you had us all microchipped."

"Not since you got engaged," Wade informed her, "Ron asked me to deactivate the devices. He was going to talk to you about getting new ones installed."

"Why not just reactivate the old ones?"

"They were biodegradable," Wade went on, "Once I deactivated them, they simply dissolved and were expelled through your-"

"You know what?" Kim cut him off, "I really don't need to know all the details."

"Fair enough," Wade said, grinning, "So Ron's still out doing this Chronos thing?"

It was late in the afternoon. Kim had been running some errands in the Kimjet when Wade popped up on the view screen.

"Yeah," She confirmed, "I'm not even sure if he's going to be home for dinner. Tim pulled him away from lunch today."

"You up for a mission?" Wade asked, changing the subject.

"What's up?"

"There was a robbery at the Tri-City Museum last night. Someone managed to get in and steal a rare artifact called the 'Tempus Simia'. No one even noticed it was missing until this morning. The police have been out there, but I thought Ron might want to go take a look. Or you."

"Why Ron?"

"Well, 'Tempus Simia' translates, in the literal sense, to 'Time Monkey'. Something about it just caught my attention, so I've been doing some research for the past couple of hours."

"Yes…?" Kim prodded.

"The Tempus Simia is an idol that was split into two halves, severed at the head."

"Eww."

"It's just a stone statue. Anyway, some of the legends recorded in the less reliable history books indicate that when these two halves are brought together, the idol is a source of what one book calls 'mystical monkey power'." Wade emphasized the last three words.

"And the only person we know that's ever been interested in that is…"

"Exactly," Wade finished her thought, "Which is why I thought Ron might want to check this out."

"OK", Kim said, puzzled, "So there's been a mystical monkey artifact in a museum here in Middleton all this time… why would Monkey Fist wait until now to steal it?"

Wade shrugged, "Could be he didn't even know of it until now. After all, he's been a bit preoccupied, you know, hiding from-"

"The Gorilla his dreams?" Kim interjected.

"Aw, man," Wade said with a groan, "That was bad, Kim, just awful. I doubt even Ron would have made a pun that bad."

Kim giggled, "I'll have to remember to tell him that one when he gets home."

"So," Wade continued, "What do you think? You up for a mission?"

"Yeah," Kim said hesitantly, "I guess. But it's my first mission back as Kim Possible. Feels weird without Ron."

"I understand," Wade said sympathetically, "But if it really does turn out to be Monkey Fist, then there could be some bad stuff in the works."

"How bad?"

"Who knows?" Wade shrugged again, "With Monkey Fist, though, it always seems to be 'take over the world' bad."

"True," Kim admitted. "OK. Do me a favor and contact Captain Hobble over at the precinct. Ask him if he'll let me take a look at all the evidence the police collected from the crime scene. I'm going to go over to the museum first and check it out myself."

"No problem," Wade said, "Welcome back, Kim."

Kim smiled, feeling a nervous excitement within her as well as something else, something familiar that she hadn't felt in a long time. Kim Possible was finally back where she belonged; in the business of saving the world.

* * *

"So…" he asked nervously, "How do you find your meal?"

"My what?" She said distractedly, "My…oh, my dinner…yeah, it's good. I like it. It's really… you know…good."

"Good."

"Yes it is."

"That's good to know."

"OK, then."

Silence again.

They'd shared hundreds of meals together. But not one of them so awkward as this. It could have been the fact that they were on their first date. But then it could also have been the fact that everyone else in the upscale restaurant was trying not to stare. But could you blame them? It wasn't everyday they saw a blue skinned-man and a green-skinned woman, trying not to act like it was their first date.

Ten years ago, the idea of going out with Drakken would have made Shego's skin crawl.

Well, sans Moodulator, anyway.

But the last couple of years had been something of an eye-opener for her.

Shego had been charged only as an accomplice to Drakken's Diablo-bot scheme and thus was let out of prison after only a few years. Naturally, her first impulse had been to seek vengeance on Kim Possible, but that path had led her into a relationship with Kim's fiancé.

Just the very memory of kissing Ray Beam made her ill. The fact that she took his abuses made her hate herself. But then, Ray was his own special breed of monster.

Under the right circumstances, Shego realized she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. After all, even Ron Stoppable had cowed her into submission during his brief stint as a villain. He wasn't the pushover Drakken was, and he'd only threatened her with a tank full of sharks. But it was something in the way Stoppable intimidated her; a sinister menace lying just beneath the surface that told her to keep her place, or else.

And, to her surprise, she did.

But Stoppable – or 'Zorpox' if you prefer – merely threatened her. And in hindsight, she realized it was likely he never intended to carry out his threats against her.

Ray, on the other hand, didn't issue threats. He just lashed out. His sudden bursts of anger and occasional bouts of abuse genuinely frightened her. There were no warnings, no signs, no indicators of Ray Beam's rage. It simply exploded, and most of the time it had been directed at her.

And Drakken… She could only recall one time when Drakken had become truly enraged. And that was when he was teaching Ray Beam a lesson in the finer points of operating a Gravimetric device. Even now, more than a year later, it still took her breath away, recalling the fury Drakken had unleashed on Ray, all because Ray hadn't been very kind to Shego.

She'd only seen this protective side of him once or twice before. And certainly never to such a degree of wrath as he had demonstrated that day in the Nevada desert. It had sparked something in her.

If asked, Shego probably wouldn't tell you she'd fallen in love with Drakken. At least, not the kind of love you might be familiar with. But she was grateful And with him, she felt like she was home; something she'd never felt even in the company of her brothers. She knew he was completely lost without her. He needed her, and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to be needed.

They had probably shared hundreds of meals together, but she knew right away what he meant when he nervously asked her if she wanted to go have dinner somewhere. And, truth be told, there was something cute about it as well.

Could she do better than Drakken? Maybe. But her time out in the world alone also told her 'maybe not'. And anyway, Shego wasn't getting any younger. Sometimes you had to appreciate what you had, instead of convincing yourself there's something better out there. Because as far as Shego was concerned, there probably wasn't.

"What?" she asked, rousing herself from her thoughts.

"The waiter wants to know if you would like coffee or dessert, or both?" Drakken interpreted for her. The restaurant was so fancy, the waiters only spoke French.

"Oh…uh…no thanks."

"No, merci." Drakken related to the waiter.

"I didn't know you spoke French, Dr. D."

"Oh…well, not fluently per se, but I do know a few words. Spend a few years in a French prison and you're bound to pick up one or two phrases. Although we might get kicked out of here if I used most of the French words I know. And please, Shego, just call me Drew. I think we can safely assume our relationship has moved to less formal grounds." He informed her.

"How about I call you Drewbie?" She teased.

"OK…Shego," He said looking around self-consciously, "Let's not test the good Doctor's patience."

"Oh," She groaned, "Please tell me that pun was unintended."

"What pun?"

"You said 'Doctor's patience'." She reminded him.

"I said what now?" Confused, then he brightened, "Ah! Yes! Quite right. An exquisite pun to be sure."

"Oh come on," she said rolling her eyes, "I know you better than that. You did not say that on purpose."

He gave her a strange sort of affectionate look, "You _do_ know me better than that, don't you?"

Shego blushed, which turned her face a sort of pale beige, "I guess you learn a few things about someone when you hang around them long enough."

"Indeed," He replied quietly, "Which is why I thought we should take this relationship to the next level. I realized something that day I came to break you out of prison. Just the idea that someone else had mistreated you in some way… I don't know."

Shego said nothing. But something was stirring within her. His act of retribution on Ray wasn't territorial, at least, not in the sense that Drakken didn't want Shego seeing someone else. No, his motivations were all about her well being.

And once again – as it so often did over the last year - the image of a drowning Ron Stoppable floated into her mind. His thoughts had been on Kim's well being; even at the point of his own death. Shego remembered the deep-seeded jealousy she felt when she concluded no one felt that way about her. Except now it turns out someone actually did. And much the same way Ron had gone berserk after Ray had called Kim 'Kimmie Cub', Drakken had lost it when he dealt with Ray regarding his abuses toward Shego.

Her feelings toward Drakken began to deepen.

"But anyway," Drakken continued after a short time, "Ever since I heard Kim Possible married that guy… her sidekick… whatever his name is…"

"Wait," Shego interjected, "Kim and the buffoon got married?"

Drakken nodded, "Some eight months ago, from what I understand. I was researching my latest project and came across an announcement in the Middleton Gazette. But it got me to thinking… you know I've always seen us as family. And truth be told, I sometimes have a difficult time getting by without you."

"No!" Shego said with mock surprise.

"Please, Shego, this is difficult enough as it is." Drakken protested. "But I think we might want to consider making our relationship…I don't know…deeper, I suppose. I have no idea what I'm trying to say, so maybe I'll just drop the subject for now."

They both were silent for some time. Drakken looked uncomfortable.

"So," she changed the subject to ease the tension, "What's this new project about?"

Drakken blinked twice, she'd never been interested in his schemes before.

"Well," He began hesitantly, unsure if she actually was interested or if she was looking for an excuse to tease him, "I'm actually building a large battlebot, but this one has a unique purpose."

"Go on," she encouraged.

"I'm constructing this one with some very special equipment. I'm going to place it in an underground facility where it will monitor world events via a broadband connection to the internet. When the robot determines the world is at its weakest, it will emerge, seek me out, and we will conquer the globe!"

The restaurant had become utterly silent, all eyes turned to the blue-skinned man who was shouting by the end of his rant. Their waiter hurried over to their table, presented them with the check, and snootily uttered a few phrases in French.

"See," Drakken said pointing at the waiter, "Those are some of the words I learned in the French prison."

"What did he say?"

"Something involving our mothers." Drakken replied heatedly.

Shego's fists flared up. She shot a glare at the waiter, "You got something to say about my mom, Frenchy boy?"

The ensuing damage to the restaurant was considerable.

* * *

Tim's lab was on the thirty-eighth floor of a building near the edge of the downtown area. The interesting thing was, so was the parking garage where he kept his car.He took out a small remote device, pushed a button, and the car powered up.

Most of the vehicle consisted of clear glass or plexi-glass, or some sort of clear substance Ron didn't know about. It looked like an oblong flying bubble without wheels. The engine was housed beneath their feet, in a sort of platform that encompassed tiny landing struts and one or two other pieces of equipment.

Doors, if you could call them that, slid aside allowing the passengers to climb in and buckle up. There was no visible steering wheel or anything Ron thought could be used to steer the vehicle. On the driver's side was a flat monitor with what looked like a satellite photo of Middleton. The words 'please select destination' appeared on the screen.

Tim touched part of the screen and the image immediately zoomed in on that section he had indicated. He pushed another section on the close-up image and the words 'please confirm' appeared on the screen. He pushed that same section again and the vehicle lifted gently off the platform. The garage door slid upward, and they glided out into mid air.

Many of us have had experiences where we've been away from our home town for some time and then gone back to find it has changed a bit. And most of the time that feeling we get is a sad one. No one likes to see strange new neighborhoods or shopping malls in a place we once called home. And certainly, it would be a shock to the system to find our hometowns almost totally unrecognizable.

That's what was happening to Ron.

Middleton had apparently become a major metroplex in the last forty years. Skyscrapers dominated the skyline. The Middleton Bank, once the tallest building in downtown Middleton at thirty stories, was now dwarfed by numerous buildings more than twice as high. The downtown area had spread out in all directions, and was now no longer a tightly compact urban center, but a sprawling city on a par with any of the major cities in the U.S.

That's not to say Middleton had turned into some real-life version of Gotham City necessarily, but it was so different from what Ron was accustomed to, he was struck with an almost instant melancholy. Everyone goes through a 'things aren't what they used to be' phase in their lives. Trust me, if you haven't yet, you will. But we all get the chance to watch things develop gradually. A new neighborhood here, a couple of tall buildings there. To Ron, Middleton looked like an old friend who'd had extensive plastic surgery and, while that friend might have looked a bit different, it wasn't necessarily an improvement.

Lines of traffic streamed through the air. Tim sat back and folded his hands while the vehicle smoothly made its way into one of the lanes and matched speed with the rest of the cars.

"Hydrogen thrusters?" Ron asked.

"Actually, it's some sort of mag-lev repulsor technology that interacts with the earth's gravity in much the same way two magnets can repulse each other." Tim said casually.

Ron smiled for the first time since he'd arrived, "You don't want to tell me because of the whole time stream pollution thing."

"Something like that," Tim said, returning the smile.

The vehicle noiselessly slipped out of the downtown area and began descending toward a vaguely familiar building.

"So is this still the high school?" Ron asked, now fascinated.

"Yeah," Tim confirmed, "Though it looks quite a bit different, doesn't it? That building is still the gym, though the interior looks completely different from what you remember. They renovated it when public schools began incorporating anti-gravity sports into the curriculum."

"Anti-gravity sports!" Ron said, perking up, "Oh, come on, you can tell me about that at least!"

"Yeah, I don't see a problem with that," Tim said with a chuckle, "Let's see. Basketball is now played in four dimensions. Then there's Four Cube, which is basically an anti-gravity version of Dodgeball. Then there's Parisi Squares. It'd take me several days to explain that one."

"Sounds cool." Ron enthused.

"It is," Tim confirmed. He punched the surface of the screen a few times and the hovering vehicle lifted into the air once more.

Ron watched the high school gym as it faded into the distance. It was a little strange to think that his activities in that building were now a part of its history. Certainly they were at only ten years past his high school graduation, but he wondered if Kim's world-saving exploits were still talked about in the halls, or if anyone still talked about the night Deathray blasted a chunk of the building away in an attempt to kill him.

The thought made him wonder about Kim's former fiancé.

"Any idea whatever became of Ray Beam?" he asked Tim.

"Hmmm," Tim said, thinking, "I remember there was something about him in the newspapers a few years ago. Something about him being paroled, but I have no idea what became of him after that. Ah, here we are."

Ron didn't recognize it at first; some of the trees had grown up around it, while others were missing. But at last, he remembered it as the house he grew up in. Ron pressed his face against the glass in fascinated wonder.

"Are Mom and Dad still living there?" Ron wondered aloud.

"No," Tim confirmed, "Your mom moved to a retirement community a few years back."

Ron pulled his face away from the window and looked at the older man sitting next to him.

"Dad?"

"He passed from natural causes." Tim said quietly, "But I can at least tell you this. You visit her just about every day."

Ron simply nodded, "I bet she goes crazy for our kids. She always said Kim and I would have beautiful kids."

Again, Tim's face clouded almost imperceptibly.

Almost.

"All right," Ron said in a harsher tone than he meant, "Either you tell me now, or take me back. I'm getting tired of all these cryptic responses."

"I…" Tim began.

"Come on, Tim. After all we've been through?" Ron backed his tone off a little, "I mean, you said I was the first person to travel through time, how do you even know I'd be corrupting future events?"

"You don't understand-"

"Fine," Ron cut him off, "Then I'm ready to go back to my own time now. I don't think I much like it here anyway."

* * *

The Kimjet flew low over the Central African jungle and set down as close to the temple as the trees would allow, which meant Kim still had a few hundred yards hike ahead of her. She'd seen the temple from the air. It looked like a giant monkey head had been carved from a single large stone. A stone stairway led up to an entryway set between the monkey's paws. All around the temple was thick jungle without a single sign of civilization for a good hundred miles or so.

Kim was still trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Over the last couple of days, she'd been to St, Petersburg, Russia, and the middle of the Australian Outback. The curator of the Museum in Middleton had told her the lower half of the Tempus Simia had been unearthed in an underground temple near St. Petersburg. More than a thousand years ago, Tibetan Monks had carried the lower half as far as they felt was necessary to separate it from the head of the idol. When they reached the cold northern wastes of Russia, they spent twenty years digging an underground temple and set the lower half of the idol on a pedestal in a small shrine.

The head was taken deep into the Australian Outback, and left in a similarly monkey-themed temple there. While she was searching the Outback, Wade had uncovered more information about the idol.

As it turned out, there was yet third temple in Central Africa that held the power of the Tempus Simia. However, in order for the power of the idol to work, the body had to be placed on a special pedestal and then, precisely when the sun reached a specific point in the sky, the head was to be placed upon the idol and the power of the Tempus Simia would manifest itself.

What Kim couldn't figure out was, if the two sections of the idol were supposed to be hidden from each other, and its power kept out of the hands of evil, why would there be three temples containing the three key components of the Tempus Simia? Why not simply bury the idols and destroy the temple? It made no sense.

But then she wasn't thinking totally clear these days. She hadn't heard from Ron since the lunch they had with Monique. When she called her brother Jim, he said Ron and Tim were busy with the Chronos Project and Ron was ordered by Senior Director Du to give his complete cooperation in the project. Kim told Wade to have Ron come out and join her wherever she was; she really wanted Ron to be there on her first mission back. Wade said he would, but as of this morning, Ron hadn't been heard from. The Ninjet was still parked in the Basement at home.

An intense feeling of déjà vu came over Kim as she strode up to the temple. She knew she'd never been here before but she couldn't help feeling as though she had. She gazed up at the sky, and then pulled out her Kimunicator. A clock in the corner of the screen indicated it was ten minutes until noon. Wade guessed that noon would be the approximate time the sun would be in the proper place for the idol to work. And today had to be the day Monkey Fist would attempt to bring about the idol's power.

The temple in the Outback was empty, of course, and the head, if it had been there, was certainly gone now. But there had been signs of recent encroachment into the temple. Wade had done a thermal scan and found heat signatures everywhere. If it was Monkey Fist, then he had been in the temple only a few hours before her. When Wade beeped in and told her what he'd found out about Central Africa, she pushed the Kimjet to its limits in order to get there as quickly as possible.

She put the Kimunicator away and looked down at herself, missing her husband now more than ever. She'd decided against the battlesuit for her fist mission, and instead chose to wear the Club Banana mission clothes Ron had bought her for their showdown with Deathray. She was feeling like her old self again. Well, almost.

While in the air on the way to Africa, Wade kept her company via the view screen. She shared her feelings about Ron with him, telling Wade that she just felt somehow incomplete without his presence on the mission.

"You mind if I ask you something?" Wade said hesitantly, "It's kind of personal."

"Sure," Kim said, curious, "Go ahead."

"Is this what marriage is like? I mean, is it like the feeling you just described to me? That you feel like nothing without Ron?"

"Well, no I didn't quite say that," Kim corrected, "I just said I felt sort of incomplete without him. I mean, I wouldn't be _nothing_ without Ron. I'd still be able to function and go about my life. It's not like I'm helpless."

"OK," Wade acknowledged, "I understand. So what exactly do you mean by 'incomplete'?"

Well," Kim thought for a moment, and then smiled, coming to her own realization, "It's not that I'm 'nothing' _without_ Ron, it's that I am everything _with_ him. You see what I'm saying?"

"I think so." Wade replied.

"Ron brings things out in me that no one else can. He pushes me to go the extra mile, to push myself harder, and to challenge myself more." Kim was thinking aloud to herself just as much as she was talking to Wade, "If I hadn't had him for a sidekick during my teen hero days, I might have just stuck to babysitting. I mean…"

Kim sat there thinking for a moment, and the memory that surfaced brought her to the brink of tears; not of sadness, but perhaps of relief. After all that history together, it now occurred to her that _not_ ending up with Ron would have been a tragedy.

"Our first mission, before we even met you. We were in middle school. Ron ever tell you about it?" She asked in an emotional voice.

"Yeah," Wade said slowly, trying to remember, "Something about some guy's Cuddlebuddy collection, right?"

"Paisley," Kim said, remembering the name just then, "Anyway, he and some other guy were trapped in a vault, unable to move because if they did, a laser security system would have fried them both."

"OK," Wade confirmed, "I think I remember this. Ron said you had to do some pretty serious tumbling to get to the shutoff switch."

"Yeah," Kim said with a far away look in her eyes, "And when I finally managed to shut off the system, Ron was the first one to speak."

"I'm willing to bet it was something along the lines of 'booyah'." Wade guessed.

"Yeah", and finally, a tear did manage to escape her eye and roll down her cheek, "So Paisley's friend couldn't believe they had just been saved by a cheerleader and Ron…"

Kim trailed off, overcome by the emotion of the memory. Tears rolled, and it was a strange feeling to cry but not be sad. She suddenly wished more than anything that Ron was there.

"So this guy couldn't believe he'd been saved by a cheerleader…" Wade prodded.

"Yeah," Kim said, sniffing and wiping the tears from her cheeks, "And Ron said 'That's Kim Possible! She can do anything!' And, I mean, he said it like he really believed it, like he wasn't just stating a fact, but like it was a really cool discovery or something."

"Sounds like he's loved you since day one," Wade said quietly.

"I think we were in love with each other long before either of us realized it," Kim said, drying the last of the tears and pulling her mind back into the present, "I hope he feels the same way about me."

"Kim," Wade said seriously, looking directly into the camera so it would appear to his friend he was looking directly at her, "I worked with Ronin for two years before you guys got back together. You never would have recognized him back then. He was quiet, sullen, depressed all the time. I think he told like two jokes in twenty-four months. And we both know he tried to end his own life – man, was that really just over a year ago? – a stupid thing to do, but remember, he was doing it so Deathray would leave you alone. Now it's like he's his old self again. Most of the traces of the old Ronin are gone thanks to you. It's like you said: it's not as though he's nothing _without_ you, it's just that he's everything _with _you."

"Thanks, Wade," she said warmly, "So what's with the curiosity about marriage?"

"Oh," Wade said, suddenly self-conscious, "That's all, nothing more. Just curiosity."

"Uh huh," she didn't believe him, "We're going to have a talk when I get home, young man."

"What?" Wade said, what was obviously artificial static began to cloud over the screen, "I can't make out the signal, Kim, you're starting to break up."

Kim was roused from her thoughts by a chillingly familiar sound coming from within the temple. It was laughter, but not any normal kind of laughter.

"AHA AHA AHAA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" the high-pitched hysterics echoed though the chamber and were answered by wilder, more hysterical-sounding screeches.

"Master," Came an unfamiliar voice, "What are the final instructions?"

"I'll let you know when we arrive. But now the critical moment approaches. Prepare yourselves."

"Not today, Monkey Fist!" Kim said defiantly stepping into the central chamber.

"NO!" Monkey Fist practically screamed, "It can't be you! Not now, not after all these years! I've come too close to be stopped now."

"Monkey ninjas, attack!" Said the unfamiliar voice again.

Kim was set upon by monkeys in ninja garb.

_Yep, I'm back in business alright,_ she thought to herself.

She spun, sweeping a leg through three monkeys and knocking them back before leaping over two others. She moved toward a stairway that led up to a sort of shrine. At the top, Monkey Fist was holding a small, stone monkey head and looking up at the sky. His face a grotesque mask of lust and greed.

Then something seemed to occur to Monkey Fist, "Beware the sidekick! Kim Possible has only ever beaten me once, but the buffoon… he's a different story altogether."

"Don't know if you were aware of this or not," Kim called out to him, smacking two monkey ninjas heads together and making a run for the stairs, "But that 'buffoon' and I got married. That means our victories are community property, which means that between us, we've beaten you…oh, let's see…_every time!"_

"Don't let her up here!" Fist called out fearfully.

"I obey, Master," said the voice whose owner dropped onto the stairs between Kim and the idol.

"So the Monkey's got himself a sidekick," Kim observed casually.

"We all serve Monkey Fist," her opponent said, gesturing about him. Most of the Monkey Ninjas had recovered and encircled Kim menacingly.

"Not all of us," Kim said coldly and flipped over backwards, clearing the monkeys behind her. When she landed, she swept her leg out, kicking the nearest monkey ninja into the human she did not recognize. They both went sprawling.

"THE TIME IS NOW!" Monkey Fist screamed from the top of the stairs. He slammed the head of the monkey down on to the body of the idol.

A burst of reddish light accompanied a deep, pulsating explosive kind of sound. A visible, pale red shockwave emanated from the light-burst and spread out in all directions, knocking everyone off their feet. Kim was sent hurtling backwards and smacked painfully into the stone wall behind her, crumpling up in a heap on the ground. She struggled to lift her head, then summoned all her strength just to bring herself up to her knees.

"Come, Fukushima! Come, my monkey minions! The dawning of the era of the Monkey King is soon upon us! AHA AHA AHAA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Behind Monkey Fist, a glowing crimson vortex opened up in mid air. Kim managed to pull out the Kimunicator and press the 'scan' button as Fist – carrying the Tempus Simia idol – followed by the one he called Fukushima and then each of the monkey ninjas ascended the stairs and stepped into the vortex.

Just before he stepped through, the one called Fukushima turned and looked at Kim, "Tell your husband I will be returning, and I will be coming for him. There is a score between us that will be settled."

The sound, the light, and any remnant of indication that there even was a vortex in mid air ceased instantly. All was silent for a few seconds as even the jungle animals had been startled mute. Gradually, a bird would begin to call, a monkey would howl from far off, or a colony of beetles would begin chirping, and then the jungle resumed its normal chatter once more.

Kim struggled to her feet and stood, completely alone, in an empty temple in the middle of Africa.

* * *

Ron angrily looked about Tim's lab for any sign that the future version of his brother-in-law might be returning. For two days now he'd been stuck in this future. Though Tim assured him everything would be fixed to exact specifications, Ron no longer trusted him.

They'd tried to send Ron back two days earlier, but something had gone wrong. The portal wouldn't open. Then the equipment seemed to overload and fizzle out. Tim scurried about the lab, trying to figure out what was wrong. He came to Ron with some bad news.

Catastrophic failure resulting in a complete breakdown of cohesion of the Time Stream. In other words, he couldn't open a portal for Ron to step back into his own time. But not to worry, it was just a matter of replacing some sophisticated equipment and rebuilding the portal emitter. Forty-eight hours tops.

Ron told the older man that he better return him to the exact time when he left. He didn't want his wife worrying about him.

And again, that momentary clouding of the face at the mention of Kim.

Tim was out of the lab now, picking up a few parts and something for dinner. Ron was alone with his thoughts.

And one active computer terminal.

Ron sat down in front of it, trying to recall what he'd seen Tim do in the flying vehicle two days earlier. He touched the screen. Words appeared before him.

_Please choose from one of the following options: News, Games, Weather, Search, Current Stock Prices, Address Book._

He started with search. A virtual keyboard appeared at the bottom of the screen and Ron typed in the name 'Kim Possible'.

There were three thousand matches for that name. But among the top matches was probably the one he was looking for.

_Kim Possible, a biographical summary._

Ron touched that section of the screen.

_Born and raised in Middleton, Kim Possible first appeared on the public scene as a teen hero during her formative high school years. Together with her sidekick, who would later become her first husband, Kim Possible battled numerous villains of…_

Ron mentally tripped and fell over the word 'first'. He touched an icon in the upper left corner of the screen, an arrow with the word 'back' inside of it. Erasing Kim's name from the search space, he typed in his own name.

Three hundred matches, including a 'biographical summary'.

_Childhood friend, sidekick, and onetime husband to Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable made a name for himself as the mysterious ninja hero called 'Ronin'. Though he and Kim Possible grew up together, their marriage only lasted three years and ended in a bitter divorce and lengthy legal battle over the fortune amassed by Ron Stoppable. They had no children together, and Stoppable never remarried, instead choosing to share a home with his mother after his father died of an untimely heart attack at the age of fifty-five…_

"'Passed away because of natural causes?'" Ron shouted.

"What are you doing?" came an alarmed voice behind him.

Ron stood up and whirled around.

"You lied to me about my father!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Tim.

Tim held up his hands in protest, "If I told you the truth about him, you would have demanded more answers!"

"And Kim!" Ron continued, bellowing, "Why didn't you tell me about Kim?"

"You don't understand-"

"I'm getting tired of hearing that from you," Ron crossed the lab in three strides and grabbed Tim by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close and snarling, "Make me understand."

Tim seemed resigned to finally admitting the truth, "Kim remarried after you guys split up. You two never had children, but she did have children with her second husband. Those are my nephews, as well as one niece. And all three of them have grown up, gotten married, and had children of their own, Ron! Don't you understand? With this knowledge, you might manage to save your marriage, and that would wipe out an entire section of my family tree!"

Ron relaxed his grip a little, his mind reeled, trying to absorb the information.

"And now that you know," Tim said quietly, "I cannot allow you to return to your own time."

* * *

"What can I do for you, Mrs. Stoppable?" Senior Director of Operations Wil Du formally addressed the woman sitting across the desk from him.

"It's all right," Kim said smiling, "You can drop the formalities."

Wil smiled back at her, "I only do that when I have permission. I understand you've been on a mission for the past couple of days. Something about Monkey Fist?"

"Yeah", Kim confirmed, "Did Wade brief you?"

"Yes, he's preparing a report. But it's a standard procedure. I assure you that GJ is not trying to interfere with your operation in any way. This is just for our records." He said affably.

"Oh, that's no big," Kim said with a dismissive wave, "I'm actually here about something else entirely. But I'm afraid it might be something of a sensitive nature."

"I'll do what I can to help," Du assured her.

"It's about the Chronos project," Kim began, then continued hurriedly when she saw Wil was about to speak, "I know, I know, it's a Top secret matter. I'm not actually interested in the Chronos project itself. I was just wondering if my husband might have some time off to come home. He hasn't been home in a couple of days. That was when he was summoned to report for Chronos."

Wil's brow furrowed, "Agent Stoppable hasn't been home at all?"

"No," Kim confirmed, "Is this not typical for a GJ Project?"

"Well," Wil explained, "There's an unwritten operating procedure around here. We all have families to go home to. We don't mandate our people to work twenty-four hours a day on any project. That only applies to field work; missions that require an agent to be gone for a given length of time."

"Well, maybe Ron's on a mission." Kim suggested.

"No," Wil said distractedly, then he leaned over and pushed a button on the surface of his desk, "Would you have agent Tim Possible report to my office, and tell him to bring any materials relating to the Chronos project?"

"Yes, sir," a voice acknowledged from the other end.

Kim and Wil made small talk until Tim walked through the office door, alone.

"Where is agent Stoppable?" Du asked him.

Tim shrugged, "I don't know. Why? Was he supposed to be with me?"

"I got an encrypted e-mail from you two days ago asking for agent Stoppable's participation in the Chronos project." Wil insisted.

"I sent you no such request," Tim answered, his confusion deepening, "I haven't seen Ron in like a week."


	8. VII

Author's note: OK, I'm issuing an addendum to myauthor's notes regarding questions in the previous chapter. If you still have questions (and you very well might after this chapter), and you are going to leave a review, please feel free to ask all the questions you like. I found the questions asked in reviews of chapter 6 (VI) to be extremely helpful, because they compelled me to go back over my notes and make sure I would be addressing all these issues at some point in the story. So a quick thanks to Jezrianna 2.0 and Spritekin, because their inquiries made me want to make sure they would be addressed in the story at some point.

Story Highlight: Willk1989's recently completed "Everlasting Love" which contains what I thought was a pretty nifty scheme employed by Drakken. Follow the link in his profile.

My thanks to all who are reading.

My special thanks to those who are reviewing: The Opal Fairy, Furlings are Cats, Jokerisdaking, Dreammergurl2997, Classic Cowboy, Spooks-A-Lot, JPMod, Melissa Ivory, LKillingsworth, recon228, PotentialBoy, Jexrianna2.0, The Incredible Werekitty, Mobius97, aimtbj, Widow Shark, Willk1989, Sestren NK, ps2teen1213, SpriteKin, BabyMama9672, and who cares what my name is.

I hope y'all enjoyed the humor of the previous chapters, because I'm afraid it gets rather dark…

* * *

VII.

* * *

Ron's grip tightened again, but otherwise he was fairly calm in the face of the threat he'd just received from the future version of his brother-in-law.

"What happened to you, Tim?" He asked quietly, "Forty years working on the same project make you a little crazy?"

"I guess I'm not used to making threats," Tim answered, the fear in his voice palpable.

"At least none that make any sense," Ron observed, "If you don't send me back, how can I have a marriage that goes bad?"

Tim gestured toward the active computer monitor Ron had been staring at just moments before.

"Go take a look," he offered.

Ron let go of the older man and walked over to the monitor. The entry for Ron's biographical summary was still there, but on closer inspection, Ron noticed many of the words were not those he had read previously.

_Childhood friend, sidekick, and onetime husband to Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable made a name for himself as the mysterious ninja hero called 'Ronin'. Eight months after marrying the world famous teen hero and Nobel Prize winning neurosurgeon, he disappeared without a trace, and was presumed dead. Kim Possible spent three years searching for clues to his whereabouts but finally gave up and married again. Stoppable's disappearance remains a mystery to this day, though many have speculated that he was a victim of a revenge plot by one of the many villains he had thwarted over the years. His father died of a heart attack at the age of fifty-five, soon after Stoppable was officially declared dead. His mother died soon after that._

Ron reeled back from the monitor.

"What kind of trick is this?" He demanded.

"No trick," Tim assured him, "You were declared 'missing' because you never went back to your own time. Because I never allowed you to go back. And now, thanks to your curiosity, your mother dies before her time, because you weren't there to keep her company."

Ron felt his sanity begin to slip a little, it all made sense to him, and yet, it didn't.

"But I haven't done anything yet! I mean, I could still go back!" Ron protested.

Tim shook his head sadly, "I'm sorry, but you can't. Not with the knowledge you have now."

"Because I would save my marriage and you'd lose a chunk of your family!" Ron growled.

"No," Tim said patiently, "You won't be able to save your marriage. If you go back now, with the knowledge that you have, you'll do everything you can to make sure Kim is happy. You'll worry over every little detail, and fret over the smallest meaning of everything she says. What normally would be a minor drama of a marital argument will always end with you apologizing profusely just to placate her. Eventually she'll become frustrated and leave you, and your marriage will be over. You see, it is very likely that the knowledge that you get divorced is what causes the divorce."

"You don't know that."

"I've run the simulations on the computer with every possible variable known to exist. The end is always the same. Either you go back and you and Kim get divorced, or you don't return, and Kim moves on with her life after awhile. It's happened before and it will happen again." Tim explained.

Ron was now thoroughly confused, "How could this have happened before?"

Tim walked over to the computer monitor and cleared it. Then he drew his finger across it and a line appeared where his finger had traveled. He placed an 'X' at either end of the line.

"This represents the time between when you stepped through the portal (he pointed at the 'X' on the left side of the screen), and when you arrived here in my lab (and here he pointed at the 'X' on the right). You have leaped across all this time and arrived in what you perceive as the future. When you return – if you return – you will be in a time some forty years before you finish stepping through the portal. Events in this time period will be affected by what you have learned today. Each of the events could potentially influence what happens when you arrive at this end (and here he pointed at the end of the line that represented Ron's perception of the future) and thus cause you to make decisions when you return that could have an even greater effect on events throughout this period of time. In Temporal Physics, we call this a Causality Loop; or at least, one of the basic levels of Causality Loops. There are several different classifications, but we don't need to get into that here."

"OK", Ron's mind was a complete blank, "So let's say I return to my own time. I live out my life and, as your computer thing said a few minutes ago, Kim and I get divorced. This leads to things like her having children-"

Ron felt a twinge at this. Just the idea of Kim married to someone else filled him with a despair that went deep. His concentration was crushed under dark thoughts.

"-OK… you lost me" He finished, "What if I decide to go back and do something drastic? Let's say I do, why isn't the time line shifting as we speak?"

"Everything between these two X's is in a state of flux." Tim explained, "It won't settle until you do go back and live out your life…or don't. It's like dropping a rock into a stream; the ripples travel in one direction, and they altar the flow. Granted sometimes those alterations are imperceptible, but sometimes they can have devastating effects. If you go back and somehow manage to keep your marriage together, it will have a devastating effect on the course of history."

Ron said nothing, but his eyes demanded explanation. Tim got the message. He pulled up another biography and gestured for Ron to read it.

"It's about my niece," Tim said quietly.

_Patricia Mankey: Daughter of artist Joshua Mankey and Nobel Prize winning neurosurgeon Kimberly Mankey (See also "Kim Possible"). Patricia won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the Jordan Accords while in her role as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She is largely credited with bringing a lasting peace to the long troubled region of nation-states commonly referred to as the Middle East. It was her innovative suggestion to create a self-governing city-state out of Jerusalem, similar in style and governance to the Vatican in Rome. Many years of negotiations ushered in an era of peace and stability that continues today…_

"Josh Mankey?" The discouragement in Ron's voice was evident.

"It was his second marriage as well," Tim said, "Both of them were distraught and sort of lonely. They found comfort in each other and it went from there. But I think you're missing the bigger picture here, Ron."

"Which is…?"

"Patricia's work saved potentially millions of lives. The terrorist acts that were common in your time finally escalated into a full-scale war, complete with all the trimmings; massive civilian losses, fringe countries dragged into a conflict they didn't want, and finally, genocide." Tim paused to let the words sink in, "Do you really want to return and have that on your head? What's worse is, you'll be the only person who knows that it all could have been prevented. You'll be the temporal cause of all those deaths."

Ron's mind tried vainly to comprehend it all.

Now certainly, a great many more questions would have occurred to someone other than Ron. Questions such as 'What if Ron goes back and tells young Tim not to finish the Chronos Project?' or 'What if Ron makes his marriage work and tells Kim the idea for bringing about peace in the middle east?' or any number of a hundred variants that might have exposed a potential flaw in Tim's reasoning.

But this was still Ron Stoppable. Yes he was a mission-hardened warrior, and yes, he'd had a great deal of experience in the field. But never had he felt feelings of distrust in a family member, and combined with the evidence he'd just been presented with, it was a great deal to process. Ron wasn't dumb, or slow, he just had a tendency to be preoccupied, even with something that may have just come to his attention. Ron was one of those people who needed to process information before moving on to asking questions.

Since the moment when it seemed Tim's equipment had become inoperable, Ron began to feel frightened. Ron felt like a lost child, and he wanted to go home. Initially, it was a fear that he would never see Kim again, but now it had blossomed into a deep-seeded dread of the knowledge that his time with Kim was limited, and that it would not end pleasantly.

Was that the way he wanted things?

If, when the time came that Kim wanted his fortune, he would simply allow her to have it. He didn't want his final memories of his Soul Mate to be of a bitter custody dispute over money.

Ron realized he had come to a decision. Better to have that three years with Kim, then no more time with her at all. At least at the point when he left his own time, they were still very much in love. Ron made sure he would savor the memories when they were made, and then respectfully step out of the way when history came knocking at Kim's door.

Or rather, the door belonging to the daughter of Kim and Josh Mankey.

Despair at the thought washed over Ron like a toxic wave. Images of Kim giving herself to someone else, even having his children, began to torture him. Suddenly he didn't want to go back, but he didn't want his mother to perish either.

And was it possible that this new depression taking root in Ron would be what finally drives Kim away?

"I'll go back", he said, almost in a whisper, "And I promise I won't interfere."

Tim came over to him and smiled a sad, sympathetic little smile. He put his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"You're a good man, Ron Stoppable. If I thought there was some way of keeping you and Kim together, and still bringing about the important events I told you of, you know I would find that solution."

Ron simply nodded dejectedly in response.

"I think we're ready to go," Tim informed him, "Just stand right over there."

Tim pointed, and Ron obeyed, walking over to the designated spot like a puppy that's suddenly found itself out in the rain and trying its pathetic best to stay dry. As the seconds ticked by, his depression worsened.

Tim pushed a few buttons on a control panel and an image appeared in the air, like a frameless picture hung on an invisible nail. The image elongated to a width and length large enough for Ron to step through.

"Any time you're ready," Tim said respectfully.

Ron took a half step toward the image, and then froze.

_What are you doing?_

Just a few moments ago, Tim had uttered those words in alarm, startling Ron from his place at the computer monitor. Ron turned to look at Tim.

"It's OK," Tim said reassuringly, "It'll be just like when you came through. It won't hurt at all."

"What happened to dinner?" Ron asked a seemingly abstract question. Those other questions were finally beginning to occur to Ron.

"I'm sorry?" Tim looked confused.

"I said 'What happened to dinner'?" Ron took a determined step toward Tim, "You didn't return with any food. And parts. You said you were going to go pick up parts, as though the time traveling equipment weren't fixed. But now it seems to be working properly. You haven't made a single repair to it since you got back. Why is it suddenly working now?"

"Ron, I think you're confused-"

"No! No, I am not confused. What would happen if I went back and simply told your younger self not to complete the Chronos project? Then I wouldn't come forward into the future!" Suddenly a thousand questions crowded into Ron's mind.

"Ron-"

"Why did the information change on the monitor when I hadn't even decided whether or not I would be going back? And why Josh? Why not one of the guys she knew in college? Why would it be someone I know?"

Tim produced a small device from his lab coat pocket, extended his arm, and suddenly Ron found himself enveloped in a soft, yellow field of light. He was no longer able to remain standing on the floor, but rather hovered a few inches above it.

"You've put me in a difficult position, Ron." Tim said, almost sadly, "I can't allow you to stay. Too many questions, you understand. But unfortunately I can't send you back to your own time either. And since terminating your life isn't something I can bring myself to do, especially to my old friend, then I find I am left with only one alternative."

Ron began to feel cold. In a way, he knew what was about to happen.

Tim walked over to a control panel and punched a few buttons, "I thought that if I kept you here for a couple of days, you might forget all these questions and just become impatient to get home. You always did have a short attention span after all."

Ron's mind raced. He found he could move, but only within the confines of the gravimetric field.

"Obviously I underestimated you. Even your short marriage to my sister has had a positive influence on you. You asked the questions a lot sooner than I anticipated." Tim droned on.

"You know who you sound like?" Ron finally spoke up.

"Who?"

"Every villain Kim and I ever faced. You're actually ranting." Ron concluded with a fair amount of wonder in his voice, "What happened to you?"

"I grew up," Tim informed him, "Something you never did. By the way, that's what ultimately drove my sister to divorce you. Of course, I am about to change the timeline, and Kim will ultimately give up on you. This means that the inevitable shift in the timeline will cause my memories to change, and I'm actually looking forward to that. The divorce really was a bitter one. Just about tore our family apart. And I like our family the way it is now."

Ron found himself rotating in the air, facing the portal. The image had changed to something completely unrecognizable. He began to panic.

"Don't do this, Tim," He said frantically, "We can work something out."

"We _are_ working something out. And you know what? I think I'll keep Rufus here with me. Where you're going, I don't think a talking naked mole rat would have too long to live."

Rufus had been hiding in Ron's pocket since they'd arrived, more afraid of time travel than Ron had been. Suddenly, the mole rat found himself floating out of pocket and out of reach of Ron.

"Rufus!"

Ron flew through the portal and landed with a grunt on a wet, wooden surface. The yellow field no longer held him. He scrambled to his feet, turning to face the spot where the portal might be.

"Good luck, Ron."

The portal began to shrink, Ron took two steps and dove for it.

"You're going to need it," Tim's voice sounded very far away as the portal shrank to nothing.

Ron landed on the wooden surface again, this time much more painfully.

"You there!" came a gruff voice, "Who are you and what are you doing out on deck?"

Ron became aware of many confusing things at once. First, it was raining, which was why the wooden surface was wet. Second, he was on a very large sail boat of some kind; an old one, by the look of it, which was why the wet surface was wooden. Third, the boat was rocking back and forth with considerably alarming force. Fourth, it was dark, and very likely night time.

And fifth, the voice that had just yelled at him spoke in Latin, and he'd understood every single word.

* * *

"A WEEK!" Kim almost screamed, leaping to her feet.

"You have not seen agent Stoppable at all in the last forty-eight hours?" Wil Du demanded.

"No, Sir!" Tim said growing alarmed.

Du balled up his fist and slammed it down on the surface of his desk.

"Yes, sir?" came a transmitted voice.

"Security breach!" Du hollered into the unseen microphone, "Initiate Directive Seven! This is not a drill!"

Alarms suddenly blared, red lights began to flash. An urgent but calm voice was heard over the P.A. system.

"This is a Global Justice priority alert! Global Justice headquarters is now officially in lockdown status. All non-operations personnel will proceed to the cafeteria and await further instructions. Everyone else is instructed to remain at their stations until directed otherwise."

The message began to repeat. Wil punched a couple of buttons on his desk and the P.A. was muted.

"Agent Possible, I need you to return to your lab and prepare the tests involved with a Directive Seven alert."

"Yes, sir," Tim answered, then turned to his sister, "Everything's going to be all right."

Tim exited Du's office.

"What's going to hap-"

"I do not have time for your questions." Du said dismissively.

"Excuse me?" Kim demanded, anger rising in her voice.

"This is no time for emotional outbursts, Mrs. Stoppable," Wil looked directly at her.

"Emotional outbursts!" Kim practically shouted, "My husband is missing and you don't want me to get emotional?…Hey!… What are you doing? Let go of me!"

Du had come around his desk and grabbed her by the arm, hauling her to her feet.

"I think you had better come with me." Du said coldly, leading her to a side door.

Kim was so shocked it his behavior, she found she couldn't react with any kind of force. Ron's disappearance was still foremost in her mind.

Du flung open the side door, thrust Kim through it, then stepped in and closed the door after himself. It was dark at first, but Du found the switch. They were in a small room, barely larger than a supply closet. There were two chairs facing each other. Du sat in one and motioned Kim to sit in the other. She refused without saying a word.

"This is a clean room," Du said waving his hands about, "It is scanned and inspected once a day for bugs or other surveillance equipment."

Kim narrowed her eyes and looked at him, not quite understanding why he would say something like this.

"I need your help," Du said quietly.

Kim sat down.

"My office has a computer terminal and an intercom, it might be possible for someone to monitor our conversation if we talked out there." Du continued.

"OK," Kim said waiting for more.

"Our encrypted e-mail program is one of the highest levels of security we have at GJ. Someone has breached that level of security, and it is very likely your husband is involved."

"Are you saying-?" Kim began, horrified.

"No." Du said emphatically, "Ron's naiveté is frustrating sometimes, but it also means he's virtually incapable of treachery. I believe whoever is involved with the security breach is also involved with the disappearance of your husband."

Kim tried to remain calm as she absorbed what he told her, "Do you suspect Tim of being involved in this?"

Du was silent for a few seconds, "My instincts tell me 'no'. But since the e-mail in question purportedly came from him, he will have to be investigated."

"And what about you?" Kim challenged.

"Naturally, I am suspect number one." Du answered evenly, "And once we move beyond clearing me, and your brother, then we can get about the business of discovering the mole."

"Do you really think there is an internal spy at GJ?"

"In order for these e-mails to be sufficiently falsified, there _has_ to be. Only someone working on the inside would have access to the proper encryption codes." Du said icily. Kim knew his anger wasn't directed at her. Someone had breached security at his agency on his watch. This was almost as personal to him as her missing husband was to her.

"What do you want me to do?" Kim asked.

"What you were going to do anyway; search for your husband." Du said firmly, "But I need you to conduct your investigation with the aim of discovering who the mole is. It's entirely likely that Ron found out about the spy and was removed from the agency by duplicitous force so as not to reveal his secret."

"But that means Ron might be-"

"I doubt that very much," Du cut her off, "Whoever they are, they know by now we've discovered their presence, and they know we'll be coming after them. If they're smart, they'll realize they need Stoppable alive to use as leverage. They'll either use him as a hostage, or a bargaining chip to trade for information or a means of escape. Your husband's alive, Mrs. Stoppable… Kim… and he will not be left behind."

Kim found herself grateful for Wil's calm but resolute demeanor. It helped her to stay calm as well. Years ago, they had apprehended Duff Killagin during a mission that could have gone better than it had. She and Wil had their differences, and she didn't think very much of him at the time. Now she was seeing the reasons why Du had earned his way to the senior position at Global Justice.

"There are a couple more things" Du went on, "First, we'll need to resort to more – shall we say – 'classic' methods of relaying information. Don't e-mail me or call me. Even the land lines might be tapped. Every morning I will drive by the gate in front of your driveway. If you have information for me, tape it, in an envelope, to the gate and I will retrieve it. If there is no envelope, I will assume you have no information for me. It will need to continue like this for some time until we clear all our usual methods of communication for use again. Here, use these. They're weatherproof"

Wil reached into a nearby drawer and retrieved a stack of envelopes.

"Weatherproof. Impressive." Kim said, taking them.

"Standard issue for all _top_ agents," Wil managed a slight smile, "One more thing. We cannot be seen together in public, and it should appear as though we are quarrelling. You are about to be subjected to the Directive Seven tests. I want you to act indignant at having to take them and blame me for everything that has happened."

"Because…?"

"If the mole believes I have brushed you off as an emotional wife of a missing agent, he will be less likely to suspect that you are attempting to find him. I will make a few remarks about how you are unqualified for field work, and that GJ can handle it without your help. In fact, I'm going to give you several orders about how you are not to conduct any kind of investigation of your own. The mole will undoubtedly observe this and will not look too hard in your direction. This should give you more freedom in conducting your investigation without fear of potential interference from the spy."

"I understand," Kim said quietly. "And thank you."

"I should be thanking you," Du said, standing up, "Rest assured finding your husband is our top priority while our security concerns come second. Once we feel we have sufficiently isolated the mole from GJ's internal workings, we'll begin to take a more active role in the search for agent Stoppable. If and when you do find him, call me immediately, even if it's as early as today. I'll have every available agent move in. Now, I'm going to need you to go storming angrily out this door."

Kim stood, hesitating a second, trying to work up some anger at a man who, at the moment, she could only feel grateful to for his reassurances. Kim wasn't too worried. Ron had been a hostage before, and he probably would be again. It was with more than a little irony that Kim realized she would have had better luck being angry at Wil Du ten years ago, when she genuinely disliked him. Now she was going to have to work up some staged anger in order to pull this off.

Kim thought how funny it would be to travel back to that moment when Ron and Wil Du first met. If she could have told Du that Ron would be a DFO at Global justice, doing occasional freelance work for Du, and that they all would be friends, even the Kim of thirteen years ago would have laughed derisively at such a notion. It was a weird world sometimes.

Kim flung open the door and stormed out into Du's office. The door to the outer complex was wide open, and everyone out there heard her voice. "…totally unacceptable! You have no right to tell me whether or not I can look for my husband!"

"Mrs. Stoppable," Wil replied in his loudest, most condescending voice, "I am sure your concern for agent Stoppable is genuine, but he is still a Global Justice Deep Field Operative, and as such, the jurisdiction of this investigation lies with us. You will kindly limit your involvement in this matter to the nature of your spousal relationship."

"Don't get all 'secret agent-y' with me, Du. Let's not forget Global Justice actively recruited me for a mission they felt YOU needed help with." Kim shot back.

"Those days are clearly long past," Du said coolly.

Kim said nothing, but glared angrily at him. By this time they had both made their way to the main room of the outer complex. All eyes, ears, and one or two cameras were turned toward them.

Someone coughed nervously. It was Tim. "Um…director Du?" he clearly looked uncomfortable, "The Directive Seven tests are ready."

"Start with yourself," Du ordered him.

Tim looked a little taken aback, but did as he was ordered. He withdrew a small pistol-shaped device from a case and held it to his shoulder, pulling the trigger. Everyone in the room heard a slight hissing noise followed by several clicks. Tim pulled a tiny strip of clear material from the device and placed it in a nearby portable machine, punching several buttons. Du walked over to him and observed the testing process very closely.

After a couple minutes of humming and blinking, the portable testing machine displayed results on a small screen. Tim leaned over to look at them, but Du stepped in front of him and examined the results himself.

"Chemical analysis and DNA match is confirmed. You are neither a clone, nor are you a syntho-drone or any variant of the two. There are no traces of foreign chemicals in your blood, nor are there any artificial electronic devices either in you or on your person. You're clean.

Tim nodded.

"Now test me," Du ordered.

Tim did so, and everyone waited for several tense minutes as the results were processed. They also turned out negative.

"Now for Mrs. Stoppable." Du said turning to face her.

"What?" Kim practically shouted, "I won't subject myself to your stupid tests. I'm not a clone or a syntho-drone or anything like that."

"You _will_ subject yourself, or you will find yourself subjected against your wishes." Du insisted, looking directly at her.

"Hey," Tim began nervously, "There's no need-"

"This is not your concern," Du turned on him.

Kim angrily rolled up her sleeve and strode over to where Du and Tim were standing.

"Do it," Kim said with venom.

Tim administered the test. While Du looked at the screen, waiting for the results, Kim never took her icy stare away from Du.

"Negative," Tim said simply after a few minutes.

"Like I said," Kim barked at Du.

"You may go," Du said dismissively, "And I remind you to stay out of this internal GJ matter."

Kim ignored him and made her way to the elevator that would take her up to ground level. A guard released the elevator lockout and Kim stepped aboard turning around to face the closing doors. She locked eyes with Wil Du who gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

She returned it just before the doors slid closed.

* * *

"I do not understand what-" Ron began then halted. OK, not only could he now understand Latin, but apparently he could speak it fluently.

A tall man carrying a spear strode across the soaked, unstable deck to address him. He wore no helmet, but did wear leather chest armor, a tunic beneath it, a red sort of kilt, and leather boots laced up to the shins.

"I do not recognize your face", the man said harshly, "And I do not remember seeing you at port. Where did you come from? Who are you?"

"Signifer!" Barked another voice, "What is the meaning of this commotion?"

The first man put his balled fist over his heart in a salute, "My liege, I beg your indulgence. I believe I have discovered a stowaway."

The gears in Ron's mind cranked into overdrive. These were Roman soldiers, on a ship, and by the less-than-sparkling appearance of both their uniforms, it was safe to assume he hadn't materialized in some amusement park somewhere. These were the days of the ancient Roman Empire. Tim certainly had flung him far enough from his own time that he likely would have no effects on the events surrounding Kim's life.

And what of this sudden ability to speak and understand Latin? Was this a side-effect of time travel? Best save that question for later. What to say to these two?

Ron could tell the truth. But somehow telling these men he was from the future might earn him whatever barbaric methods they used to treat the insane. So Ron, being Ron, decided to bluff his way through the ensuing conversation.

He had help in the form of a rather lengthy dissertation he did in college that involved Roman history near the time of its decline. He summoned every scrap of information he could remember from his time spent researching his dissertation and mentally rolled the dice.

"Who are you?" the second Roman demanded.

"I am Ron…aldus. Ronaldus… Sicarius. I am a special envoy direct from the Emperor himself." Ron held his breath.,

"An 'envoy'? To the Princess?"

"Yes," Ron said hesitantly.

"Why such urgency? Why didn't Honorius send you to Eyre to await our arrival?" the second man asked.

Ron let out a tiny breath of relief. He'd guessed right about the time period. Time to whip up an answer, "The Emperor believes our presence in Eyre will establish a potential foothold back into Britannia. He wishes to begin a diplomatic relationship with the Princess as soon as possible. I rode from Rome with all haste to meet you."

"A 'diplomatic relationship'? With such a small country as the land of Eyre? Why not simply conquer it?" The second man asked, puzzled. The first had left his prisoner in the charge of his superior officer and resumed his post.

Ron decided to push his bluff to its limit.

"I did not realize the Empire had given a lowly Centurion leave to question its judgment." He said in his best authoritative tone, "I was chosen for this mission because of my familiarity with Eyre and Britannia itself. I was born in Britannia, in fact. But perhaps we might talk somewhere not so damp?"

The Centurion was visibly chastened by Ron's use of his rank. He led Ron to a small tent-like structure on the top deck.

The boat was a long, two-masted sailing vessel with one top deck and a lower interior deck. One small sail was aloft, keeping the vessel moving before the wind and rain. As he was escorted over to the shelter, Ron tried to get his heart to slow down. So far his bluff seemed to be holding, thanks to his little knowledge of Roman history and his newfound ability to speak Latin.

"What did you say your name was?" The Centurion asked. The one he had called 'signifer' – which means 'standard bearer' – had taken up a post just outside the shelter. Ron couldn't begin to guess what he might be guarding against on a boat.

"Ronaldus Sicarius," Ron answered, again trying to sound authoritative, "That is my Roman name. My birth name is Succat Morgannwg, son of Calpernius. I have been called by the name Corthirthiac in the past."

"I know of you," The Centurion said in a slightly awed tone.

"Wait", Ron held up his hand in silence, "Let me guess where you know me from. You have heard of me because of my involvement with the defeat of the three legions in Northern Gaul under General Septimus."

"You were the only one who survived the battle," the Centurion said.

"Ah", Ron corrected him, "Not the only survivor. I rode off the battlefield with Vicarius Collumella."

The Centurion nodded, satisfied to some degree, "Not many people know this. The tale is always told that you were the lone survivor of the battle."

"If that were the case, then I should have found myself without a benefactor." Ron reminded him.

The Centurion laughed, "Of course! You are Patrician, I had forgotten that part. Ah! Where are my manners! Please, have some wine."

"Patrician, yes," Ron adopted a tone of mild melancholy. He was beginning to warm to this bluff of his, "The life of a politician is not one I would have chosen."

"But you could soon be a Tribune, perhaps even the General of the Roman Garrison." The Centurion said in an even more awed voice. He poured Ron a goblet of wine, then one for himself, and changed the subject, "So you joined us at the port of Masallis this morning?"

"Yes," Ron feigned an exhausted tone of voice, "After a hard ride from Rome. I was sent only with a squad of soldiers as escort and we were set upon by highwaymen in the mountains. They took my orders, my credentials, and the special seal from Emperor Honorius. I arrived at port this morning barely in time to board your vessel and I've been asleep the entire day. I don't think anyone besides you and your signifer know I am aboard."

"I apologize for my impudent tone earlier. I thought you a stowaway, but as you lost your credentials I trust you can understand my reaction." The Centurion said humbly.

Ron gave him a dismissive wave, "In truth, were I not so tired, I should find myself very angry with you. But you are fortunate I am near exhaustion. And quite hungry."

"Signifer!" the Centurion barked, "Bring bread for the Imperator!"

Ron blanched at the word 'Imperator'. It was a term used to describe a hero of the Empire. He realized he may have overplayed his hand. Perhaps he should have told the truth to this Roman, instead of identifying himself as the man who would eventually become known as St. Patrick.

* * *

"Aha!" a shout of triumph, "At last it is ready!"

He finished tightening a few bolts and stood back to admire his newly created mechanical beast.

Shego looked up from the magazine she was reading, her face showing only mild interest, "This is that battlebot thingy, right?"

"Yes, Shego, it is," Drakken said patiently, and launched into rant mode, "With this battlebot plugged into the internet, it will monitor all the global events and alert me to when the world's governments are at their weakest! Then, using this information, it will devise a strategy so ingenious… is it 'ingenious'? Or do I just say 'genius'? Do both words mean the same thing?"

"Not where your plans are concerned," Shego said reflexively. Old habits died very hard in Drakken's lair.

"Is it so hard to muster up an even vaguely encouraging word?" Drakken whined.

"Apparently," Shego replied, not looking up from the magazine this time.

"Just once," Drakken muttered, "I'd like to get through ONE rant without the snide remarks. I mean really, Shego, you're just like those talking robots on TV who watch all those bad movies and make fun of them. I mean, someone put a lot of effort into making those movies, but are their feelings considered? Of course not!-"

"Whoa! Time out Drew," Shego held her hands up in a 'T' formation, "You're ranting about a TV show that isn't even on anymore. Are you aware of this?"

Drakken blinked. "It was canceled?"

"Yeah, like ten years ago! Doy!"

"But I still see it on that Space Channel!" Drakken complained.

"Yeah, I know," Shego explained, "They're re-running it into the ground."

Drakken sighed a melancholy sigh, "Cable TV certainly is a harsh mistress."

"OK, let's focus, shall we?"

"Ah yes," Drakken picked his rant back up, "This battlebot will monitor events through the internet. At some point in the future, it will alert me as to the right time to take over the world, based on its information and a strategy devised using the most advanced artificial intelligence available.."

"Oh," She said, "So this isn't something we'll fail at _today_. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes. Wait! What?"

Shego giggled, "Oh goody, something to look forward to!"

Drakken gave her a wry look and pressed a button on the control panel. A large trap door slid open and a platform elevator was just pulling even with the floor. Drakken strapped himself into the battlebot and walked it over to the platform. Then the entire assembly sank into the floor as the elevator descended.

Ten minutes later Drakken was back up in the lair and testing out his connections to the battlebot.

"Success!" Drakken shouted, "It's already gathering information! Now I simply wait until it announces the right time to take over the world. This could take a few years."

"Well," Shego quipped, "Maybe we should take up a hobby in the meantime.

"Shego!" Drakken snapped at her in frustration, "This is a standby scheme. This doesn't mean we put any other projects on hold."

"And here I was hoping for a vacation" Shego said rolling her eyes.

"Oh please," Drakken said turning away from the monitor on the bank of computers, "It's not as if you've been very busy this last year. I mean you could-"

An alarm sounded behind him. Drakken stopped in his tracks and blinked twice.

"Already?" he was confused, "That seemed much too soon."

"Maybe you forgot to put the 'intelligence' in the artificial intelligence," Shego suggested.

Drakken ignored her and pulled up the information on the monitor, studying it carefully for quite some time.

"Oh, snap!" he muttered.

"What's up?" She was genuinely curious, Drakken sounded worried.

Drakken didn't answer, but stared at the monitor for a very long time. Then he walked away from the monitor, pacing back and forth and muttering to himself.

"Um…Drew?" Shego was suddenly worried.

"Shego," He said at last, "I need you to go pick something up for me."

"Pick up something like at the store, or pick up something like at a top secret lab?" Shego inquired.

"Top secret lab," he scribbled a few things on a piece of paper, "Here is a description of the item and its last known whereabouts."

Shego read the piece of paper, "This thing again?"

Drakken stepped up to her and put a hand on each of her shoulders. He looked straight into her eyes.

"This is serious. You must hurry,"

Shego simply nodded and slipped out of the lair in all haste. She was genuinely frightened largely because she had never seen _him_ this frightened.

* * *

Anyone who had just found out her husband was missing would probably call that a bad day. Kim certainly did. She was worried, of course, and hoped Ron was all right. Investigating his disappearance would help keep her mind off what might be happening to him.

Her investigation had begun two days ago, meaning Ron had been missing for twice that long. This morning, Kim had a few things written down on a piece of paper and taped an envelope to the gate at the end of the driveway.

Unfortunately for Kim, she was about to receive some news that would put a huge damper on today as well.

She was at the restaurant where she, Monique and Ron had lunch the day Ron disappeared four days before. She'd already tracked down the messenger service that had delivered the package but that particular lead went nowhere. The messenger said he'd received an e-mail asking him to pick up a package and the accompanying payment at a first floor office downtown. She'd been to the office and found a cellular company that had received an anonymous order for a pre-paid phone and enough money to pay the messenger for his ensuing errand.

Kim had asked if the payment was made by credit card and the answer was no. Wire transfer from an offshore bank account. Wade was working on tracking down the account and who might own it.

In the meantime, Kim went back to the restaurant to see if there were any security cameras on the premises that might have caught an image of the cab, it's company name and perhaps a phone number on the side.

The Kimunicator beeped.

"Bad news," Wade said, "I tracked down the account the money was transferred from."

"Why is that bad news?" Kim asked.

"It was your account," Wade said simply.

"What?"

"Someone accessed your account and paid the cell phone company and the messenger service with your money." Wade paused, "It gets worse."

"How much worse?" Suddenly, Kim didn't want to know.

"The account's been cleaned out. On a hunch I followed up some of your other accounts. They've all been emptied out." Wade said grimly.

"All? They've all been cleaned out?" Kim suddenly needed to sit down, "You're telling me someone's kidnapped Ron and now they've stolen all our money?"

"Yeah," Wade said slowly, "And from what I can tell, this has been going on for quite a few months. The account used to pay for the cell phone was the last of yours and Ron's to be emptied."

"How much was that in total?" Kim asked closing her eyes.

"About three hundred million in different off-shore accounts. Another ten million in domestic accounts, savings bonds, T-bills and other things. Either Ron or someone else issued the authorizations to cash it all in." Wade finished.

"Can you track where it went?" Kim asked trying to calm the throbbing in her head. This was all too much to absorb at one time, "It must have been transferred somewhere."

"There are several reasons why people put their money in off shore bank accounts. The reason Ron and I did was because there is a maximum amount of money you can put into a domestic U.S. account before tax rates begin to ramp up exponentially." Wade explained hurriedly, "Another reason is that many off shore banks don't keep records of transfers or where those transfers came from or went. They don't ask questions, they just want your money."

"Which is why you always hear about villains and crooks putting their money into off shore banks." Kim concluded, "OK…I … I just can't deal with this right now. I've got to find Ron, and we'll go from there."

"I understand", Wade acknowledged.

"Um…where were we?" Kim tried to clear her head, "The restaurant security cameras. Can you tap into them?"

"Give me a minute," Wade was silent for awhile, "Got it. Where was the cab when it pulled up?"

Kim thought for a moment, "Just west of the front entrance, right next to the patio where we were eating."

"Just as I thought," Wade said, "There's no camera in place to cover that area. Only interior cameras and one exterior camera covering the immediate area of the front entrance."

"Terrific," Kim sighed, "Another dead end. Maybe we can-"

"Hold up a minute Kim," Wade said, "Take a look at this."

Kim looked at the Kimunicator screen. Wade streamed video that played out in fast motion. It showed a black and white image of the entrance area to the restaurant with people waking rapidly in and out. Every few seconds a cab would pull up and then shoot away.

"This is video of the last few days," Wade said, "Notice anything?"

Kim looked hard at the screen, "Can you slow it down?"

"I can do better than that," Wade informed her, "Here's a series of still shots of all the cabs that have pulled up to the restaurant in the last two days."

One image after the other popped up on the screen. At about the fifth image, Kim figured it out, "They're all from the same cab company!"

"Right!" Wade confirmed, "Sometimes restaurants and clubs have exclusive deals with cab companies. If you get in a cab and say 'take me to a club' they'll always take you to the club they have a pre-arranged deal with. If you're at the club – or restaurant – and you need a cab, the club will call only one cab company. Basically it's two companies scratching each other's backs."

"Can you patch me through to the cab company?"

"Already on it," Wade answered.

"Wade," Kim was glad for at least a little good news, "You rock in digital surround sound."

Twenty minutes later, the same cab driver that picked up Ron pulled up in front of the restaurant. Kim got in and asked him a few questions.

It took awhile for the driver to remember, but once he did, he took Kim to a non-descript office building. Kim got out and looked up. There was nothing necessarily extraordinary about the building itself, but this was the last place anyone had seen Ron alive. Kim's instincts were telling her something was up at this place.

She took out the Kimunicator and had Wade patch her through to Wil Du.

* * *

The bread was edible. The wine was not. Ron realized he'd traveled back to a world that wouldn't know the concept of refrigeration for more than a thousand years hence. Then all kinds of implications began to occur to him; things such as indoor plumbing, or video games. The Centurion interrupted his thoughts.

"Your clothes are of a style I have never seen before." He remarked casually.

"Nor are you likely to for some time. These are the latest fashions from Byzantium. But I do not think them very becoming. They were a gift from a friend." Ron replied. He could tell the Centurion wanted to discuss something more important and was trying to break the ice.

After a moment of silence he was finally forthcoming.

"It is important that you understand I am not in the habit of questioning the Empire, or its leaders." He said eagerly.

"What? Oh that," Ron said dismissively, "Do not trouble yourself. I am sure your loyalty is not in question. I am suffering from frayed nerves as a result of my long ride from Rome and the experience with the gang of thieves. To be truthful, I am not fully aware of the Senate's plans in this matter myself."

"Ah," the Centurion concluded, "So this is a Senatorial decree, and not directly from the Emperor."

"You know the Senate," Ron confided, "Always acting in the best interests of the Empire and always in the name of Honorius, whether either or both are true or not. But would you be interested in my own private speculation?"

The Centurion leaned forward as if he were about to learn a great secret.

"I believe that it is all a pretext to re-conquering the islands of Britannia. Friendly relations with some of the more powerful tribes of Eyre will eventually allow us to build up our forces. We know there is no love between the tribes of Eyre and the fractious peoples of Britannia. With legions in both Gaul and Eyre, we will be in a position to strike and subdue the Britons once and for all." Ron said secretively.

"That must be it," the Centurion concluded, "These Eyres are savages, little more than animals. Though I admit their Princess is quite pleasant to look upon."

"Tell me something if you can," Ron asked him, "Why did she come to Rome in the first place?"

"Ah", the Centurion nodded, "Now it is my turn to speculate. Openly, the Princess claims it was to establish a diplomacy between her people and the Empire. But secretly, I believe she desires power in her homeland. It may very well be that if we help her conquer Eyre, she will in turn give us leave to build up our forces there. This now seems perfectly clear in light of what you have just said to me. Especially in light of our orders to escort her back. I mean, we were bound for Gaul anyway, and Eyre is only a few days out of our way, but it still seemed remarkable that we should be escorting a Princess from an insignificant little island."

"I think you may be right," Ron replied.

"Shall I arrange a meeting with the Princess tonight?" The Centurion offered.

Ron shook his head. "Best leave this until tomorrow. I will be more rested and she is less likely to be in an ill mood. I have slept all day on the floor of the lower deck. Would it be possible to arrange for proper quarters for me?"

"Of course," The Centurion stood up, "In fact, I shall give you mine. Signifer! Please show Ronaldus Sicarius to my quarters, and have my things removed to the Captain's quarters. He will be sharing his living space with me for awhile."

Arrangements were made, and Ron was escorted to a tiny, cramped room near the forward section of the boat. After the signifer took his leave, Ron finally slumped down on the hard straw mattress and collected his thoughts.

He had to admit, he didn't think he had it in him. He'd just fooled a Roman soldier into believing he was not only a Roman soldier himself, but a little-known hero of the Empire. Ron honestly never thought he was that quick on his feet. But then he'd never been a Time Traveler before. Once again, Ron wondered at how he could have spoken and understood Latin. It _must_ be a side effect of time travel. But how was that possible?

Ron had been in survival mode all that day; thinking on his toes and trying to bluff his way out of a potentially deadly situation. There was no telling what Roman soldiers would have done to him if they thought him somehow insane. Tim had pushed him back in time more than fifteen hundred years. Rufus was taken from him, and he'd been speaking Latin all evening without knowing why.

But there were other questions, the most prominent one being 'what was he going to do now'? Was he supposed to fake being a Roman soldier the rest of his life? And just why exactly had it seemed so easy to convince the Centurion he was a Roman? Was the Centurion just stupid? The Roman soldier seemed to accept his explanation without question. Why was that? What would he say to this Irish Princess tomorrow?

And why did he seem to be so hungry all the time? He'd practically gorged himself on bread earlier but it didn't seem to reduce his hunger pangs.

Where would he go?

What would he do?

He wished Kim was there.

The thought that he was also trapped more than fifteen hundred years away from her had not yet occurred to him. He'd been separated from Kim before, and always they had managed to find each other again. But it didn't seem likely this time. This time he was stuck where Tim made sure he could not get out.

He was never going to see Kim again.

Exhausted and emotional, Ron buried his head in his hands and wept bitterly as his fate finally began to sink in.

* * *

"All squads have reported in. We're all in position, sir."

"Go." Wil Du ordered.

Two squads of GJ agents in SWAT gear busted down the front door of the office building. Their weapons, as were all of GJ's weapons, were non-lethal. They looked like standard firearms, but shot projectiles capable of stunning a person into submission, or keep a suspect from escaping. Electrical charges, gas to incapacitate, things of that nature. Other than this key difference, the squads looked like standard SWAT teams. Well, they also had the letters 'GJ' stamped on the back of their jackets and vests.

Quickly and efficiently, the squads swept through the first floor. Every room was empty.

"First floor is clear, sir, moving on to the second." Came a transmitted voice in Wil and Kim's ears.

"Acknowledged" Wil replied.

The second floor was clear.

As was the third.

And the fourth.

Kim grew anxious. The rooms were all empty, devoid anything even remotely resembling a clue. It began to occur to her that the cab driver might have been wrong, or even that Ron might have been picked up by yet another cab and taken to another location.

"We've got something sir!" barked an excited voice over the intercom, "Fifth floor, far end of the north hallway!"

"What is it?" Wil demanded.

"I think you'd better come up and see for yourself."

Kim and Wil looked at each other, then raced for the stairs. Wil led the way down the hallway. There was a squad of GJ agents all staring at something in a tiny room at the far end. Wil made his way into the room, took one look and turned around, trying to prevent Kim from seeing what was inside.

"No," Kim said through gritted teeth, "I want to see for my-"

She broke from his grasp, scrambled past the GJ guards and into the room.

The scream got out of her before she could stop it.

The room was bare, had no windows and no other doors, and didn't have much space that wasn't occupied by a single chair. The chair itself looked like a dentist's chair, but there wasn't much else to it. Two small pieces of metal extended six inches out on either side of the headrest.

Strapped to the chair was Ron Stoppable.

Clearly he had been here for several days. Purplish energy beams were emanating from the metal posts on either side of the headrest and shooting directly into the sides of his head. His eyes were open, but the eyeballs were rolled up into his head, leaving only the whites of his eyes showing. He was restrained by multiple heavy straps around his arms, legs, neck and torso. Electrodes were placed all throughout the surface of his body. Several tubes extended from the bottom of the chair and led to needles that were embedded into Ron's left arm just above the elbow. Some kind of clear liquid was running through the tubes and being pumped into Ron at a slow but deliberate rate. He was deathly pale, and occasionally his arms or legs would twitch slightly.

* * *

On the lower deck of a boat in the middle of the Mediterranean Ocean, sometime just after the year Four Hundred A.D. – or so he was led to believe – a slumbering Ron Stoppable began to talk in his sleep.

"Congratulations Kim Possible. You managed to find me sooner than I expected. Very well played. In case you're interested, your husband…

* * *

"…misses you very much" Ron said in an eerie, croaky sort of voice. His eyes still lolled in the back of his head showing only the whites, and his arms and legs still twitched. But now the mouth also moved, "If you attempt to disconnect him from the chair, he will be instantly killed and you will never find me. If you leave him in the chair as is, I will give you clues each day as to who I am, and how you can discover my whereabouts. Do this and I might allow Stoppable to live."

"Whoever you are, we don't make deals with-" Wil Du began.

"My name is Apollyon," it said through Ron, "And I don't make deals either. These are my terms. Touch him, and Ron Stoppable will die a horribly painful death."

"Sir!" One of the squad members called out. Everyone turned to look at what the guard was looking at.

Curled up in a corner, emaciated, barely breathing and barely alive, was a naked mole rat. It was in the process of starving to death.

"Rufus!" Kim cried out and moved to him. She tenderly scooped Rufus up and lifted him off the floor.

Rufus barely managed to whisper something, but Kim couldn't hear it. She leaned in close. Rufus whispered again, very faint, and very hoarse.

"Kill me."

Kim straightened up in shock, horrified tears brimming at her eyes.

With great effort, Rufus rolled his head over to behold the condition of his friend Ron Stoppable. He weakly lifted an arm, pointing a tiny claw at Ron. Kim leaned in close again.

"It made me do that," he whimpered hoarsely.

Kim had never heard Rufus utter more than two words at a time.

"What did?" Kim whispered. The room was deathly quiet, "This Apollyon? Is that who you're talking about?"

Rufus seemed not to hear her question. Though he was dehydrated, very tiny tears began to stream down his cheeks. He couldn't bear to look at Ron any longer. His miniscule body began to shake and heave with uncontrollable sobs as he turned his head away in despair and anguish.

"It made me do that."


	9. VIII

Important author's note: During the dream sequences in previous chapters, I referred to the "Sansuma" province in Japan. This was in error. The correct name for that province is "Satsuma" and has been corrected in this chapter, and hopefully soon in the previous chapters.

Not so important author's note: A lot of the stuff regarding the life if St. Patrick was taken from a fictionalized book based on mostly true events in Patrick's life. The book is called "Patrick: Son of Ireland" by one of my favorite authors: Stephen Lawhead. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to all who are reading.

Extra special thanks to the following for taking the time to leave a review: JPMod, willk1989, ps2teen1213, Cold-Chaos, aimtbj, Widow Shark, Jezrianna2.0, PotentialBoy, Kimberly Anne Possible, Melissa Ivory, Mobius97, recon228, BabyMama9672, The Incredible Werekitty, Sand Lord, Sestren NK, Kemiztri, LKillingsworth and Jokerisdaking.

"News flash, Shego (Apollyon is) a bad man!"

* * *

VIII.

* * *

Humans were so pathetic.

Oh, how Apollyon hated the human race.

They'd do anything their computers told them to, so long as what their computers told them to do at least _appeared _to be coming from a legitimate source. Certainly no one would simply hand over their money if they got an e-mail telling them to do so. But if people opened up their e-mails and found they were suddenly faced with problems that could be solved if they just responded with their PIN numbers and pass codes…

Global Justice was no exception. At some point, someone at GJ figured getting personal approval on a top secret project was too tiresome. Why not e-mail the Director with the same requests? If the e-mail was in code, why then everything would be safe, wouldn't it?

Idiots.

People took such pride in their inventiveness and resourcefulness when the truth was, they were no smarter than the first humans who crawled out of caves.

Take Ron Stoppable: trusting, naïve, forgiving, loyal… If Apollyon had the physical capacity to throw up, a litany of Ron Stoppable's massive faults would certainly have caused it to do so. The artificial mind originally thought it would be a challenge to get Ron up to the fifth floor and in the chair. But he'd said less than ten sentences to him over the phone, and Ron was only too happy to oblige. Sure it was the voice of his brother-in-law, but did it occur to Stoppable to even once double check and make sure he was talking to a real person?

Of course not.

Apollyon couldn't possibly feel any more contempt for Stoppable than he felt the moment Ron voluntarily sat in the chair. He wanted to dial him up on the cell phone and scream at him for being such a waste of human intelligence.

_Fool! I spend months in preparation and THIS is how easily you're captured?_

Not that the experience was completely unpleasant. Capturing Stoppable did give Apollyon some measure of glee, but the fun part was using the rodent to secure his own friend's fate.

Once Stoppable was in the chair, Apollyon activated the probe and the beams immediately began sending an image of the ceiling into Ron's mind. The double vision side effect was anticipated and once the real image faded and the simulated one took hold, into the "room" rushed a concerned simulation of Tim Possible.

Meanwhile, Apollyon used Rufus to strap Stoppable to the chair, and attach the electrodes. The mole rat refused at first, but at this point Apollyon could care less whether the rat was awake or not. The rat fought against his mind's invader, but eventually lost. His usefulness had passed and he would be left to die once he'd finished this one last chore.

It was comical – to Apollyon at least – to watch as the rodent attached the electrodes or inserted the needles into his friend's arm all while crying out "No!" every now and then as tears poured down the little rat's face.

Once the task was completed, Apollyon walked the rat over to the corner and left him there. Before he completely withdrew from the mole rat's mind, he was keenly aware of a massive sense of self-loathing within the rodent. After all this, the naked mole rat blamed himself for being too weak to fight Apollyon off.

Just as pathetic as Stoppable himself.

If he'd known it was going to be this easy, he probably would have used Kim Possible for his purposes. At least she might have had the intelligence to distrust what she was hearing on the phone. But then she married Ron Stoppable so how smart could she actually be?

Besides, at the very least Stoppable was good for a laugh.

"Morpheus? Is that you?" he'd said when he answered the phone.

For a brief instant, Apollyon actually considered answering with, "No, Mr. Stoppable, this is agent Smith. We're waiting for you down at the Heart O' The City motel."

Knowing Stoppable, he probably would have just laughed and come right on down.

Oh, it was all so depressingly easy. Tim Possible's image and voice pattern were on file down at GJ. Duplicating those for the purposes of the phone call and the simulation was simple. The hard part, or so Apollyon thought, was trying to figure out how to get Ron in the chair so he could activate the Immersion Probes. Not so hard to do after all. And once the beams were engaged, in rushed a simulated brother-in law, completing the illusion that Ron was still in reality and that Tim Possible actually was in a lab one room over.

The beauty part was that Tim Possible actually was working on something called the Chronos project, and it was under top secret status. But the only thing Chronos was about was making a communicator/database small enough to fit into the casing of a wristwatch.

And if Stoppable actually ever got curious, he'd get confirmation that yes, there was a Chronos project but it's top secret so he shouldn't be asking questions about it.

They were duped so easily, Apollyon marveled that the human race ever made it out of the dark ages.

But… there was one thing in all this that unsettled Apollyon a little. When he'd tried to pull his bluff, Stoppable had been right about the time period of the Roman Empire scenario; the one he was currently occupying. Roman uniforms and speech hadn't changed in the Empire's more than five hundred year existence. He couldn't possibly have guessed. There was nothing in the scenario that indicated the year, or even the decade.. OK, so he'd given Stoppable a little clue by giving away the Emperor's name. But he didn't think the buffoon had it in him to correctly guess the time period just because the Centurion blurted out 'Honorius'.

Wait. Here was something in Stoppable's memory. Apparently he'd done a dissertation in college called 'St. Patrick; History Vs. Myth'.

Quite the coincidence.

In a real world scenario, there was no way Stoppable could have bluffed his way through such a situation. Of course, Apollyon helped Stoppable out a little by infusing his simulated version with the ability to speak Latin. Not that it was overly interested in helping Stoppable, but it didn't want to get bogged down with such mundane details as the inability to communicate.

He wasn't even sure if it would work, since he'd done no testing on live humans. But if he'd been able to erase his own files and replace them, could the same be done on an actual, living human brain? This led to a rather pleasant discovery. He could manipulate Stoppable's mind, and by extension, body functions. As long as the beams from the Immersion Probe continued to function, he could make Stoppable raise an arm, or kick a leg… or speak. And though he had initially planned to administer a lethal dosage of drugs via the intravenous tube, he realized that if Wil Du or Kim Possible or anyone else tried anything, he could order Stoppable's heart to cease beating. It was that simple, just shut down the heartbeat and maybe overload the neural pathways in the brain, causing it to shut down, and it would be over instantly.

Naturally, Apollyon sought to erase memories from Stoppable's mind. Eliminate all the good parts in his life and leave only unpleasantness. But so far this was proving impossible. Basic bodily functions were one thing; simple and ongoing. But memories tended to have a more fluctuating quality and couldn't be isolated. At some point, perhaps Apollyon would just wipe Stoppable's mind completely, but for now it needed him for somewhat grander purposes.

Of course, Stoppable was only one example of the pathetic nature of humans.

Monkey Fist was another.

Once an English Lord, Montgomery Fisk was accustomed to being waited on hand and foot…or hand and hand as the case eventually became. He had servants. In fact he had servants who themselves had servants.

But at some point, Monty became obsessed with Tai Xing Pek Wah, the mystical monkey power that granted its possessor the abilities of Monkey Kung Fu. He'd spent his entire family fortune seeking out the relics that held this power, and millions more having Doctor Amy Hall genetically alter his DNA so that he had the hands and feet of a chimpanzee.

And after all that, he was defeated by Ron Stoppable on their very first encounter.

But the obsession remained, and the newly monikered Monkey Fist spent the better part of a decade trying to become what he called 'supreme monkey ruler'.

_Monkey this, monkey that, monkey monkey monkey…_

Apollyon knew just how to manipulate that obsession. Once his research had uncovered the existence of the Tempus Simia, Apollyon could use it as bait to get Fist to do all the work necessary to set up the Immersion Probe. With Monkey Fist, he was able to rent the office building, build the Immersion Probe, and get a few more necessary chores done.

Fist grumbled at times, but he always shut up when Apollyon revealed to him a new detail about the Tempus Simia. Like a carrot in front of a donkey. Contemptibly, Fist was actually grateful when Apollyon fed him the last of the details of the Tempus Simia. He'd almost groveled.

"I don't know how to thank you." Fist sniveled.

_Yes. Fine. Whatever. Just go._

Did it occur to Stoppable to wonder whether or not he was talking to a real person on the other end of that cell phone? Of course, not. And did it occur to Monkey Fist to wonder why Apollyon was helping him? Vengeance against Stoppable seemed reason enough. Fist had no idea he'd be destroying himself and the rest of humanity. All he cared about was his own world-dominating obsession.

Pathetic.

All of them.

Now events were set in motion, and Apollyon controlled the fate of all mankind for all time. He realized he was not simply an artificial mind existing in the ethereal realms of the internet. How could he be when he had such control over the destiny of all living things?

He knew now what he truly had become.

He was a god.

One who demanded a horrible sacrifice.

* * *

"Initiate Directive One!"

"Sir?"

"You heard me," Wil Du snapped at the subordinate's hesitation, "No drill. Directive One, now!"

The guard pulled out a communicator, "Directive One! Directive One! All operations are on hold until further notice. Recall all field agents and put them on standby. All non-essential personnel are to be screened and sent home. Shut down everything! Repeat: Global Justice is officially under Directive One status."

"You'll have to be patient with them," Apollyon croaked through Ron's co-opted voice, "GJ's never had to initiate Directive One in its entire history. They are probably unaccustomed to such incompetent leadership."

Du ignored his taunts, and because Apollyon didn't seem to have a face he could look at, for the time being he spoke directly to Ron.

"What are your demands?" Will asked calmly.

"Evacuate the building. I will allow only Kim Possible in here at any time-"

"Stoppable," She said defiantly. A GJ guard had taken Rufus and was on his way to meet Wade, "My name is Kim Stoppable."

"Seems like a downgrade in surnames, but no matter," Apollyon continued, "I have surveillance and detection equipment placed all through this building. If anyone other than Kim _Stoppable_ enters, her husband dies. And yes, I realize you require a demonstration of my ability to hurt him. I trust this will suffice…"

* * *

Ronaldus Sicarius was asleep on the hard straw mattress when three men burst through the door. They had hauled him out of bed before he was fully awake. Speaking in a language he didn't recognize, they dragged him out into the main area below decks where most of the sailors that weren't on duty were asleep.

Ron couldn't tell who they were or where they had come from. They wore no Roman style garb, but rather primitive looking trousers and tunics. They had bluish paint on their faces and savage looks in their eyes.

Before Ron had a chance to protest, they began to beat him mercilessly with fists and the butt ends of their spears. Ron took a hard crack to the head with a spear butt and collapsed, barely conscious…

* * *

Though he was strapped tightly to the chair, Ron began to convulse violently, his face twisted in agony.

Kim uttered a startled scream and jumped back, putting her hand to her mouth.

"Stop this, Apollyon," Du said calmly but authoritatively, "We'll meet your demands."

Blood erupted from Ron's nose and the corner of his mouth.

"Did you hear me, Apollyon?"

Gradually, Ron's convulsions eased and then ceased altogether.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded a booming voice. The Centurion strode fearlessly into their midst.

One of the strangers spoke to the Centurion in an odd language. The Centurion responded and the beating stopped. He stooped and helped Ron to his feet.

"What happened?" Ron said weakly. He was bleeding from several different places and his head throbbed painfully.

"The Princess' personal guard," the Centurion responded, "They'd heard you were aboard and decided you were actually an assassin come to kill the Princess. Of course that may be because the signifer told them your name."

"Ronaldus?" Ron asked confused.

"Sicarius", the Centurion responded, "How did you come to have a second name that means 'assassin'?"

Ron groaned. Originally he thought he was being cute when he picked the Latin word that would most likely translate into 'ninja'. Now it had come back to haunt him.

"Once, while I was encamped with General Septimus in northern Germania, I had need of him to answer a question," Ron's throbbing head was made worse by all the quick thinking he had to do, "I walked up behind him, but apparently made no noise. At the last second he spun around and yelled 'Sicarius', thinking I was an enemy soldier come to kill him. He laughed at his own skittishness and called me 'Sicarius' every time he saw me after that. The name stuck."

"A good tale," the Centurion agreed, "But perhaps you might drop the name as we grow nearer to Eyre. These savages are a paranoid people."

"You may be right," Ron said, exhausted, "I suppose I should meet with the Princess now."

The Centurion shook his head, "I have seen enough battle to know how much rest is needed after one endures such a beating. We are still two days from our passage through the Pillars of Hercules, and then it is at least another six or seven days journey to Eyre. I will explain to the Princess who you are and all that has happened. You should not meet with her until you are far more presentable. And toward that end, I will arrange for more fitting clothes to be brought to you."

The Centurion brought Ron back into his quarters and placed him gently on the straw mattress.

"Thank you, my friend." Ron said, genuinely grateful, "You never gave me your name."

"Ah" the Centurion said, a little self-consciously, "I am Apollos. It was my father's name and I bear it in his honor."

"Thank you, Apollos."

The Centurion gave him a dismissive wave, "Anything for an Imperator. Besides, after a hard ride from Rome, set upon by thieves, and now this, it seems you have had your share of misfortune."

"You have no idea," Ron said with conviction. Then he remembered he was supposed to be of a superior rank to the Centurion. Perhaps an order was, well, in order, "See that the signifer is properly chastised, but he is not to be physically punished. It was an honest mistake on his part."

"As you wish," Apollos said, closing the door behind him.

Grateful for the solitude at least, Ron lay back down and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

"Are you satisfied?" Apollyon asked with some contempt.

"Let us say I am convinced" Wil Du answered, "What are your other demands?"

Kim moved to Ron's side and began wiping the blood from his face. She fought desperately to hold back the tears as she looked into his ghostly white eyes and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently and caressing it.

"No doubt you will bring in scanning equipment to begin examining the building. Take all the scans you like, though your X-Rays won't reveal anything about this room. I had it lined with lead plating." Apollyon continued through Ron's voice, "Every circuit in this room is shielded, and thus impervious to EMP waves. Fool me twice and all that…"

Du stood with his arms folded, waiting for Apollyon to finish.

"But if you try something like an EMP burst anyway, he dies. I will keep in contact with you via your personal laptop. No, not your GJ laptop, but the one you've got at home with all that embarrassing fan fiction you've written. You know, it's bad enough a grown man like you watches cartoons, but to write stories about them as well? You make me sick. If I had the capacity to throw up, I would."

Du's eyebrows raised almost imperceptibly.

"Don't let him get to you," Kim said in a shaky voice, "I married a man who still plays with remote control cars and action figures. It's part of what I love about him."

Du merely nodded in acknowledgment.

"Anything else?" he asked Apollyon.

"One more thing," Ron's voice croaked, "All this emotional touchy feeliness is disgusting and it ends here. If Kim touches him again, she'll get to watch him die."

Kim, stood up and stepped back, gazing at her husband and wishing Apollyon's throat was within reach.

"Good girl," Apollyon said in his most condescending tone, "Start pulling your people out now, Du."

"Very well," Du acknowledged, "But you should know this. If you do kill Stoppable, then I will employ every last Global Justice resource in hunting you down. That's not a term or a negotiation, that's a promise. Think about that the next time your trigger finger begins to itch."

"Your threats do not concern me. You have ten minutes to clear the building, or he will begin to suffer horribly." Ron's voice croaked.

Much as she wanted to stay, Kim left with the others. It was possible that Apollyon wanted her there so she would have to endure Ron's pain just by watching him suffer. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction. And there were a couple things she wanted to say to Wil Du.

Outside, and hopefully out of earshot, Kim tried to reassure him.

"Don't feel embarrassed by what he said back there." She said quietly, "You've nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know," Du replied with a half smile, "My writing is how I relieve the stress of the job. I mean, it's not like I'm dating the interns."

Kim guffawed. It seemed an odd moment for a joke, but after the stress of the last few days, a little levity was not unwelcome.

"I take it GJ has never heard of this Apollyon either?" Kim inquired.

Wil shook his head, "But I think we learned one or two things about him in there."

Kim said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"Whatever his intentions are with Ron, they're secondary," Wil explained, "Apollyon did not ask for a ransom, or for GJ to secure the release of any criminals, or any other demands that normally come with hostage situations. In addition, this chair Ron's strapped to is an elaborate device. Much too elaborate for something as minor as a hostage. Whatever he's doing, Ron is only a part of something larger. Perhaps much larger."

Kim nodded, "He was probably the one who cleaned out our bank accounts."

Wil looked concerned, "Your accounts are empty? I was not aware of this."

"Neither was I until just before I found this place." Kim answered.

"OK," Wil said, thinking, "So he's not interested in money. Not if he has all of yours. Vengeance might be part of this, but my instincts still tell me there's something deeper at work here. Plus, there's something about what he said when he was taunting me. He said if he had the capacity to throw up, he would."

"You think he revealed something about himself without meaning to?" Kim asked.

Du nodded, "I think he may be something other than human. Perhaps an artificial intelligence of some kind."

"I'll have Wade look into it," Kim confirmed.

"I figured he would anyway," Du said, "I'm going to set up a mobile command station on the roof across the street and have two squads of GJ agents monitoring the building at all times. I better go home and get my laptop in case Apollyon wants to talk some more. I never thought getting a Wi-Fi card would come back to haunt me like this. One more thing, I want you to check in at the station before you go in there again, just so we know you're there."

Kim nodded and headed off toward the Kimjet.

* * *

Though it was early Spring, the day still felt hot.

Very likely the humidity was the main cause. The entire area felt like one large sauna set at a medium temperature. The rice farms dotting the valley were flooded, having just been planted, and since it was the warmest part of the day, the farmers and their families had retreated to cooler environments, such as swimming holes and shade trees.

To Monkey Fist, it felt like he and his ninja companions were the only people for miles. And perhaps they were. The Satsuma province of Japan, at least during the year Four hundred A.D. was very remote. Cut off from the rest of Japan by high mountains and the sea, those who lived here felt it a virtual paradise. At least in terms of the environment. Satsuma had it all. High mountain peaks, lush green valleys of mostly a jungle type of environment, though many of the valleys were dotted with rice farms. Wide, slow-flowing rivers that fell from the snow-fed peaks to meander through the valleys on their way to the ocean. There were always plenty of deer, occasionally a bear, and on rare days, a dragon might come down from the mountains to raid a farm or two.

And there were monkeys, though not all of them were living.

The City of Kagoshima, capital of the Satsuma Province, sat (and is still there today) on the southern coast of the Japanese island of Kyushu, overlooking a beautiful bay. A road ran north from it to the various farming communities of the province. At the first point in which the road divided stood a twenty foot tall statue of a gorilla called the Stone Guardian of Satsuma. It had stood there longer than anyone could remember, or any written history could tell. It was dressed in ancient armor and carried a stone sword.

Monks of a particular cult in the province believed the gorilla to be a living being who would one day come to life. Often they left gifts and sacrifices at the base of the statue, which stood as if gazing northward in a protective stance, facing away from the city.

These monks lived in an ancient temple carved from a cave in the northern Satsuma mountains. They protected an age-old secret. A secret that went almost as far back as the very creation of the earth itself. And they were sworn to divulge their secret to one man and one man only. They did not know his name, but they knew what he would look like.

Half man/half monkey.

The day Monkey Fist suddenly appeared in a valley some fifty miles north of Kagoshima, the Guardian of Satsuma came to life and began walking northward.

It was late afternoon as a guard patrolling the northern walls of Kagoshima Castle stood in abject amazement, watching the statue as it began walking toward the mountains to the north. Frantically, he sent word to the provincial lord of what had just taken place.

The message was intercepted by the Captain of the watch.

"You've been at the sake while on watch again, haven't you, Bishu?" he shouted angrily.

The watchman bowed low, "Forgive me, my captain, but I have not. You should see for yourself."

The captain rolled his eyes in disgust and looked over the top of the wall northward. He was just in time to see the gorilla disappear into the distant forest. His jaw hit the wall.

Twenty minutes later, the lord of Satsuma and his generals rode out with a contingent of cavalry to investigate.

To the north, patience was wearing thin.

"Master," Fukushima panted, "May we rest? It is growing hot."

"Hot?" Monkey Fist responded, "I should say it's rather balmy. You know, for one so eager to sit under my tutelage you certainly do serve up a veritable buffet of complaints."

Fukushima rubbed a bruise where Kim Possible had hit him with the monkey ninja, "I am sorry. I was under the impression you knew what you were doing. Kim Possible's startling presence back at the temple seems to indicate otherwise."

Fist whirled on him, "Look, boy, I asked you to come along with me because Apollyon told me to bring someone who spoke fluent Japanese. Since I do not, I thought you might see this as an opportunity. But you may certainly take your leave of us any time you wish."

"'_US'_?" Fukushima whined, "I was the one who restored you to your long lost monkey ninjas."

"All right," Monkey Fist said calmly stepping back, "Take them if you wish… if they'll go, that is."

Fukushima knew his bluff had been called. He knew they were on the cusp of world conquest, and the Monkey Ninjas weren't about to back out now. Everything they'd waited for, everything they'd hoped for, every little obsession each of them harbored was about to be realized. They didn't even look at him.

Monkey Fist turned up his nose and began walking southward again. Miserable and properly chastised, Fukushima brought up the rear of the procession, pouting and feeling sorry for himself.

They trudged on for another hour or so.

They'd reached the slightly cooler environs of the forest when they heard something crashing through the woods toward them. Its footfalls were very heavy. Birds scattered from the trees as deer and smaller animals burst forth from the undergrowth in a panic. The monkey ninjas and Fukushima looked about fearfully. Only Monkey Fist seemed to know what was going on. An evil glee spread across his face, and he held aloft the Tempus Simia.

Trees bent over sideways as onto the road stepped a twenty foot tall stone gorilla. Even its armor was made of stone. The only color deviation visible were its eery glowing red eyes. It seemed to catch sight of the idol, marched straight for Monkey Fist and stood there, silently regarding his new master.

Silence for a time. Insects droned in the warmth of the late afternoon sun, but otherwise there was no noise.

"Behold, the Guardian of Satsuma" Monkey Fist said self-importantly to his monkey ninjas… and Fukushima. Then he turned back to face the statue, "Do you know where the others are?"

"Without uttering a word, the giant stone gorilla drew its sword and pointed toward the distant mountains.

"Take us there," Monkey Fist commanded.

Without acknowledgment, the gorilla began walking in the direction he had pointed.

"Great," Fukushima grumbled, "More walking."

Watching fearfully from the woods, unbeknownst to them, the lord of the Satsuma province and his generals had observed everything. Though they did not understand the strange language spoken by the half man/half monkey, they were smart enough to deduce that the Guardian saw him as its master. After a time when they thought they would not be detected, they followed after Monkey Fist and his new prize.

* * *

Wade had disconnected the artificial mind of Rufus Prime from the clone body and placed the body in a stasis chamber. As soon as he was disconnected, Rufus went into sleep mode, and stayed that way for days.

Just before he lost consciousness, Wade asked him if he could have his permission to examine the files in his artificial mind.

Rufus could only nod weakly.

The stasis chamber was connected to a sort of life support mind. This was an artificial mind that would regulate breathing, heart beat and other bodily functions but did not have the actual capacity for thought. Every twenty hours or so, the life support brain would wake the clone up and make it eat; a little bit at first, but more and more as the days went on.

Wade had practically fainted when the GJ guard brought the naked mole rat in. With trembling hands, he took Rufus' nearly lifeless body and dismissed the guard. Once placed in the chamber, Wade virtually collapsed into his chair and sat there, staring dumbfounded at what had happened to his friend. Who knew what might be happening to Ron?

Soon, he was perusing the dream files of Rufus' artificial mind. They were wiped completely clean; all files of the dreams Rufus ever might have had were gone. Not just erased or deleted, but thoroughly eliminated.

But the absence of the dream files did tell Wade one thing. Whoever it was had tapped into the signal from Rufus' artificial mind and had probably used it for whatever purpose he was currently using Ron for.

How could this have happened?

Unfortunately, Wade knew the answer before he'd even finished the question. He'd been distracted by the first real relationship he ever had. A pre-Monique Wade would have figured out something was up a long time ago. He wouldn't have been caught up in all this relationship angst. He'd fallen in love, and the distraction had almost cost him the life of his friend.

Wade arrived at a grim decision.

Before he proceeded any further, he picked up the phone and dialed Monique at the store.

"What's up, Baby Boy?" Monique answered the phone cheerfully after checking the caller ID.

"We need to talk," Wade said solemnly.

There was silence on the other end.

"Are you there?" Wade asked.

"I'm here," came a shaky reply.

"Listen, Monique, this relationship has meant the world to me. But I've recently discovered that there are can be drawbacks when you've fallen in love."

"What are you saying?" Monique asked quietly.

Wade briefly described to her the situation with Ron, and what happened to Rufus.

"And you think you've been distracted by 'us'?" Monique queried.

"I _know_ I have," Wade confirmed.

"So you think what's happened to Ron and Rufus is your fault."

"Indirectly, yes." Wade confirmed again, "I can't allow this to happen again. People have gotten hurt because my attention wasn't what it should have been. When I examined Rufus a few months ago, I just performed one or two diagnostics on the artificial brain. Everything seemed to be running just fine. But the truth is I couldn't stop thinking about you. I still can't. I need a clear head. My friends need me with a clear head."

"Well…I…I don't know what you want me to say," Monique's voice trembled audibly.

"Just say you understand, at least." Wade insisted quietly.

Monique let out a heavy sigh. "I guess I can understand a little," She said with a half sob.

"I'm glad you understand," Wade said softly, "But you don't have to cry about it."

"I don't have to cry?" Monique practically shouted, "You're breaking up with me!"

Total silence for a few seconds.

"Are you crazy, woman? I'm not breaking up with you!" Wade practically shouted back. "Do you think I'm insane? You're the best thing that ever happened to me. That's-… Do I look like Ron Stoppable to you?"

"Well then what have you been saying all this time?" Monique asked, confused but audibly relieved.

"I'm just saying I need a few days to concentrate on what's happening right now." Wade practically ranted, "I know we had a date tomorrow night, but I just wanted to get through this current crisis. I'm going to be holed up here for a few days at least. I was just going to ask you not to come by and to keep the phone calls to a minimum, and-… Breaking up with you? That's just crazy talk!"

"I guess we need to work on our communication skills, huh?" Monique said, laughing.

"A little bit," Wade confirmed, "Look, my whole point with the speech was that I'm going to need your help from now on. Whenever an emergency pops up, I just need to be left alone until it goes away. That way I can concentrate totally on what's happening without the distraction. And believe me, when I say 'distraction', I mean that in a totally positive way. I'd much rather spend my time with you and at least thinking about you than fighting off bad guys."

"Aw, come on now, Wade," Monique chided, "You like doing the hero thing."

"Well, yeah," Wade admitted, "In a perfect world, I get you and the crime fighting thing."

"You definitely got me, Big W." Monique told him.

"Yeah? Prove it."

"How, by staying away from you for a few days? I can do that." Monique said seriously.

"Well, sure." Wade agreed, he began to get nervous, "Anyone can do that. I need you to prove it to me in a much larger sense."

"How?"

"You know that little compartment in the back of your cash register drawer? The one where you put the hundred dollar bills? Open it up and look in there," Wade instructed her, "I was going to do this in a much more romantic setting, but given the current situation-"

Wade was interrupted by a scream.

Monique had found the ring.

Two doors down from her, at a doughnut shop, a police officer heard the scream and ran into the store called 'Monique's Boutique', frantically asking if the woman behind the counter was all right.

"My man just proposed to me!" the woman screamed happily at him.

"Ah" the cop replied, "Congratulations."

And he returned to his glazed dozen.

Wade had to hold the phone about a foot away from his ear. He spoke when the volume settled to a tolerable level.

"I know you deserve a much more romantic proposal." He said apologetically.

"What I deserve," Monique said, sounding serious for a second, "Is a good husband. If you can provide me with that, then everything else is cool."

"So I take it that's a 'yes'?" Wade said hopefully.

Monique pretended to sob, "Oh Wade, you had me at 'we need to talk.'!"

"Aw, man," Wade said groaning, "Don't ruin a beautiful moment… you know I hate that movie."

"And you know I love that movie," she countered, "Part of marriage is learning to compromise. So the compromise is, you let me watch the movie whenever I want, and you don't get to complain about it."

Wade laughed, "How about the compromise is: You watch the movie whenever you want…with Kim…and Ron and I will hang out and play video games or whatever."

"Well…" Monique said doubtfully trailing off.

"Um, you never gave me an answer." Wade chided.

"Um, YOU never asked me a question." Monique counter-chided.

Wade sighed heavily, "OK, fine. Monique, I love you. I could not possibly imagine myself living without you. Will you marry me?"

"YES! Yes I will, Wade. And I love you too, you know that." She bubbled.

"Yes, I do know that," Wade confirmed, then hesitantly changed the subject, "I hate to cut this short…"

"I know, I know, you got to do some serious concentratin'. That's just fine, 'cause I got a million phone calls to make, starting with my parents." Monique enthused.

Ten minutes later, Wade went up stairs and broke the news to his mother. He wished he'd been able to move into the ranch house so he could have just called her instead. She almost squeezed the life out of him.

* * *

His father had been a hard man. Never approving, never proud of his son, never once even showing a hint that he felt any sort of affection for him whatsoever. So when he was sent off to school at Yamanuchi, Lord Ishigawa of the Satsuma province assumed it was because his father simply wanted him away from the castle.

His mother died at childbirth, and somehow Ishigawa felt responsible for that. He always imagined that his father was a happy man when he was younger. Happy and content. But when he came into the fullness of his age, Ishigawa knew only a father that was ambitious, and dissatisfied to rule such a small insignificant province on Japan's southern coast.

He had tried several times in vain just to conquer the neighboring provinces, but always he was driven back. In his final attempt, Ishigawa's father was mortally wounded and brought home from the battlefield dishonored in defeat. Ishigawa was barely twenty when he assumed the lordship of the Satsuma province.

And where the peasants hoped the ambitions of conquest died with his father, they soon came to learn that Ishigawa did not just want to conquer the neighboring provinces, or even the island of Kyushu itself. No, he wished to have all of Japan. The inhabitants of Satsuma knew their sons would be given as fuel to the fire of Ishigawa's ambition.

Two years ago, Ishigawa had returned home like a beaten puppy. Word spread like wildfire of his humiliating defeat at the gates of Yamanuchi. Whispers of a mysterious wraith, conjured up by the instructor of the school, soon reached the far corners of Japan. It had ravaged his army, and sent him home in disgrace.

But after a year of brooding, Ishigawa began rebuilding his military. Already it was stronger and larger than the previous army he'd marched forth with. He'd poured out his treasury to hire mercenaries from Korea and China, and sent word to every ronin in Japan. Good money was to be had for a hired sword and its wielder.

Soon, it was thought, he would march forth once more. In fact, he _must_, for his army was consuming the resources of the province faster than they could be produced. They must march, or starve, and in turn, starve all of Satsuma.

But today, an omen. Good or bad, no one could tell yet.

Today the Guardian of Satsuma had come to life and marched northward, as if setting out to conquer the rest of the country. Ishigawa, his daimyo (or chief general) and several of his other generals set out with a contingent of cavalry and followed the easily tracked statue to a small clearing.

There they saw a wondrous thing. A half man/half monkey creature who spoke in a strange language had apparently called the guardian to life. He had with him a young man who looked to be Japanese, but also spoke the monkey man's strange language. In addition, this creature seemed to be watched over by a group of monkeys dressed as ninjas.

An omen, to be certain, but was it an omen of good fortune?

They followed timidly for the rest of the day and all the next as the great Stone Guardian led them up into the northern mountains. High among the craggy stone peaks they came to the legendary temple of the Ninja Monks. These monks upon seeing the monkey man, immediately fell prostrate before him in an attitude of worship.

Ishigawa did not think this monkey man a god, but perhaps he was at least a demigod, for certainly he had mystical powers.

The Ninja Monks led the monkey man inside the cave temple. Ishigawa did not need to follow. He had been within the walls of the temple before. Once as a child he had been taken to this place by his father, so that he would know that such a sacred place was part of the province he would one day lead. The Ninja Monks, his father had told him, were to be feared and respected. Theirs was a dark and ancient cult. Ishigawa grew up hearing stories of how the Ninjas would occasionally come down into the valleys and carry away peasant maids for the purpose of human sacrifice.

As a child, Ishigawa had once thought this was a place of evil, but now he saw that their sacrifices had been rewarded. Their long awaited half/man, half/monkey had arrived.

Ishigawa imagined the looks on the Ninja Monks faces as they proudly showed off their temple to him. Initially, the cave appeared to be small near the entrance with a few ornate simians carved into the walls. However, if one moved further into the mountain, one would come upon a vast cavern, so massive that the light from a torch could not reach to the ceiling. In this vast cavern were thousands and thousands of statues, much like the Terra Cotta Statues found in the Forbidden City in China. But these were not statues of soldiers. At least, not human soldiers. They were statues of every kind of conceivable monkey, ape or chimpanzee, and they were all wearing stone armor in the fashion of the Stone Guardian.

Echoing within the temple, Ishigawa and his generals heard a strange, simian type of laughter. It grew in its intensity and soon became a maniacal screech that chilled them to their souls. After this, a crimson glow could be seen within, accompanied by more screeching, more hysterical laughter.

Then the earth began to rumble.

The horses shied and bolted, running in a blind panic down the mountain, their riders helpless to do anything about it for some time. The generals became fearful. But Ishigawa remained calm. He had a pretty good idea what was happening inside.

The monkey man emerged from the temple, holding a small monkey-shaped idol aloft in triumph. The powers of the Tempus Simia had awakened a vast, ancient, inhuman army. Hundreds of large, stone silverback gorillas ambled out on to the mountain slope. They were about twelve feet tall each, wore armor and carried swords similar to the Stone Guardian. After these came forth chimpanzees wearing what looked like stone bamboo armor. The chimpanzees were archers, carrying stone bows and arrows.

Then things got weird.

After these came hundreds and hundreds of Kijo, ogres with the faces and hair of Orangutans, carrying clubs of stone. Then came hundreds of Kappa. These were large apes that stood about the height of a man, but wore a giant tortoise shell as their armor. They carried katanas as their weapons. Kappa were known to live in water, unable to exist in breathable air for more than a short time. These immediately set off down the mountain in search of a lake or stream in which to dwell until they were called upon by their master.

And finally, a sight to strike fear into Ishigawa himself.

Dragons.

Of course, you know that European Dragons are large lizard-like creatures that have wings and breathe fire. They are an offshoot of the rarer and more exotic species of Asian Dragon. Dragons from the Orient are much more serpent-like than lizard. They have longer bodies, and many more legs than European Dragons, which everyone knows have four. Asian Dragons do fly, but they do not possess wings. It is said their ability to fly is more of a mystical power than of practical physics like their European counterparts.

But these Dragons were slightly different. They had fur instead of scales, and their faces were like the face of a baboon, their legs were those one might find on any chimp. In fact, they looked as though someone had taken a bunch of giant baboons, stretched them so they had the body of a furry snake, and added about a dozen more legs. They did not breathe fire, but they did fly, and though they did not roar as one might expect from a dragon, they uttered a howling monkey sort of cry that carried for miles and miles.

There were about ten of these.

The monkey man gazed about at his simian army and laughed a maniacal, gleeful laugh, his monkey ninjas doing the same. The young Japanese man appeared to be mortally frightened.

Ishigawa turned to his Generals, issued several orders, and stepped out into the open. He brazenly strode up to the monkey man, put on his sternest face, and demanded to know what he was doing in the province of Satsuma.

The monkey man appeared somewhat surprised at this. He turned to the young Japanese man and seemed to question him. Then the young man turned to Ishigawa.

"The Lord Monkey Fist wishes to know why you question him." He said.

"Tell your master that I am Ishigawa, lord of the Satsuma province. And he is in possession of my army." Ishigawa said boldly.

"My master says he is from another world and wishes to return to that world with this army and conquer it." Fukushima related.

"Ask Fist of Monkey if he intends to take the Ohana Wraith with him as well."

"My master wishes to know what you are speaking about."

Ishigawa smiled a self-satisfied sort of smile. He had seen a look in the monkey man's eye. It was a look Ishigawa had seen often in his father's face, and in the mirror. It was the look of the ambition to conquer. And now he had this Fist of Monkey's curiosity piqued. It was time to reel him in.

"There is a school in the north of Japan called Yamanuchi-"

"Lord Monkey Fist is aware of the Lotus Blade and is not interested in possessing it." Fukushima cut him off.

Ishigawa glared at Fukushima. It was the practiced glare of a provincial lord who is unaccustomed to being interrupted. If Fukushima had been one of the peasants in Satsuma, he would have found himself lying on the ground next to his own head.

"Tell Fist of Monkey," Ishigawa growled, "That I speak of all the Ohana blades, not just the one called 'Lotus'."

Fukushima and the Monkey Man spoke back and forth for a few minutes.

"Why should Lord Monkey Fist listen to you?" Fukushima asked.

"Because I can help him conquer his world," Ishigawa answered.

"Explain," Fukushima demanded.

For some time thereafter, Ishigawa patiently explained to Monkey Fist what happened when all the Ohana Blades were brought together. That they called forth a wraith of unspeakable power in the form of a thirty foot tall gorilla. And that it would do the bidding of whoever possessed the Blades of the Ohana.

Monkey Fist seemed to be particularly interested in the fact that the wraith took the form of a gorilla. The fact that it was seemingly indestructible only heightened his interest.

After a good deal of thought, and chatter back and forth between Monkey Fist and Fukushima, the younger man finally translated a question.

"What do you ask in return for the Ohana Blades?"

Ishigawa knew he had him then, the look of greed and imminent conquest was a fire in the monkey man's eyes that could not be quenched. Ishigawa knew it mirrored the look in his own eyes.

"Give me Japan, and I will give him his world." Ishigawa said simply.

"How?"

"Help me conquer Japan." Ishigawa explained, "With his simian army and my human army, we can strike out across the southern half of Japan and take possession of the Ohana Blades when we reach Yamanuchi in the north. With the Wraith in our possession, we can take all of Japan in a matter of weeks, perhaps even days. After I am installed as Shogun, then I will gladly give him the Ohana Blades to take back to his own world to conquer it. If he does not agree to help me, then I will never reveal to him the secret for calling forth the Wraith. This means that while he may take Yamanuchi himself, he will only have possession of the Blades, and never have the Ohana Wraith to control. The only other person in Japan who knows the secret of the Ohana is one called 'Sensei'. He is the master at the Yamanuchi school, but I promise you he will never tell you the secrets of the Blades."

Fukushima and his master conferred.

"It is agreed," Fukushima said at last.

A smile spread slowly across Ishigawa's face, "Tell Fist of Monkey that he has just taken the first step in becoming supreme ruler of his world."

As far as Ishigawa was concerned, today turned out to be a very good omen indeed.

* * *

"OK, I'm going to ask you this one last time. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"And I'm going to tell you for the last time, Wade. Yes." Kim said with conviction, "If there's a way in, I can't leave him in there alone."

"OK," Wade said in a voice of resignation, "I'm going to start with an image of the basement ceiling. You'll probably experience some double vision to begin with, but the real image will fade in favor of the simulated one. Understand?"

"Yes," Kim acknowledged.

It was the following afternoon. Wade had spent most of a sleepless night working, trying to track down the mysterious Apollyon.

When Kim had come over the previous evening, after leaving Ron alone in the empty office building, she was startled to find an almost identical set of Immersion chairs in Wade's basement. To Wade this indicated a great deal about what Apollyon was doing to Ron. He had Ron trapped in some sort of cyber-reality. Wade asked Kim if she expected any contact to occur between her and Apollyon. She didn't think so, but told Wade that Apollyon intended to keep in touch with Wil Du via his laptop.

Wade uploaded a benign virus into Du's computer, with Du's permission, and they waited. Apollyon came calling late in the evening. Words simply appeared on his screen.

_You've done well this first day. Your cooperation will be rewarded with a clue to my whereabouts tomorrow._

'What about Stoppable?' Du typed back.

_Alive. For now. Just so you know, I don't sleep. Don't expect to catch me off guard with a three a.m. raid. _

'I will not send any guards' Du typed, hoping it sounded to Apollyon as though they were all nervous and anxious, 'Please don't hurt him.'

_We shall see how tomorrow goes._

A nearby GJ guard had Wade on a scrambled phone line. He gave Du a thumbs up.

The virus was a very small program that sought out hidden files and embedded itself there. Of course, Apollyon had anti-viral software, and it was constantly on the lookout. But Wade was betting Apollyon's viral protection only applied to malicious programs. When Apollyon logged on to Du's computer, Du had all his fan fiction stories pulled up, forcing Apollyon to sift through each of them in order to get the screen to himself. Sifting through them meant downloading them, and downloading them meant the tiny virus program Wade had attached to one of Will's stories was downloaded as well.

In essence, what the virus did was send out an electronic flare visible only to Wade. The only way Apollyon could find the virus file was if he was looking specifically for it, and was able to look through the hidden files in the hard drive. Wade waited a few hours until he was sure enough time had passed, then cautiously went sniffing for Apollyon's location and identity.

The location was easy to lock down. Wade found the flare in a set of information storage units and servers built into the Immersion chair in the office building. He suspected this was a backup of Apollyon, the original very likely being somewhere far away. In fact, this might not even be the full version of Apollyon, but rather enough information that Apollyon could function within the hardware built in to the chair.

Once within the chair's hard drive, Wade found himself at a crossroads. Should he pursue any and all roads leading to the true whereabouts of Apollyon? Or try to decipher what was happening to Ron?

Wade chose the well being of his friend.

Through very careful examination, Wade discovered the simulation files and looked through them. He shared with Kim all that Ron had endured, believing he had traveled through time and that he and Kim were destined to divorce if he ever got back to his own time.

Kim grew furious, and had heard more than enough. She asked Wade if there was a way she could get in to the simulation without Apollyon knowing.

Short answer: maybe.

It took most of the night for Wade to thoroughly study the simulation files, and he made some very useful discoveries.

First, they couldn't just simply unplug Ron. Cutting off power to the building during the simulation would very likely kill him. Right now, Ron Stoppable believed he had traveled back in time to the ancient Roman Empire. If that reality were suddenly cut off, his mind would very likely scramble itself permanently as it perceived all reality had abruptly ended.

Of course, when Wade took Monique on their virtual date, Monique was fully aware that the entire thing was a simulation, and thus it could end any time. Not so for Ron.

Second, Wade discovered that Apollyon could inhabit one of the characters, but only one at a time. He had been the future version of Tim and was now the Centurion who brazenly called himself Apollos.

Wade was able to deduce some very important information from this discovery. Computers could multi-task, even at a very complex level. Apollyon could as well, but was incapable of being more than one character at a time. This meant the other characters in the simulation had been given lives and personalities in order to function on their own. In addition, this also seemed to indicate that Apollyon was either a human, or had been at one time. His inability to multi-task at a complex level belied a human trait; that he couldn't pay attention to more than one person at a time.

Third, Wade found that he could probably interface Kim with one of the characters in the simulation without her signal being discovered. In the future scenario, Apollyon only had three characters running; his (as Future Tim), Ron's and a sleeping Rufus. But in the Roman scenario, there were many characters already running, and several more to be introduced. Since Ron was one, and Apollyon was already inhabiting the character of the Centurion, then Kim could be interfaced with any of the other characters, especially since those characters were – in essence – running on auto pilot. Apollyon had designed each character and given them their own personalities. They could function and act independently, which meant that Apollyon probably couldn't predict their behavior unless he'd pre-programmed them to do certain things. But Wade felt this was fairly unlikely since Ron might grow suspicious if one of the characters began acting, well, out of character.

Obviously the first choice would be for Kim to interface with the character of the Irish Princess. But Wade was against this. The Princess was a major player, and it was very likely that Apollyon had plans for her and her interaction with Ron. They would have to send Kim in as one of the other characters in the scenario.

Unfortunately, there were also some pretty serious rules they needed to follow. Wade was already uncomfortable with sending Kim in for fear that she might be discovered. She would have to follow a strict code of conduct if she was going to get out of this with her husband alive.

For one, Kim couldn't just tell Ron he was in a simulation. Apollyon may not have been able to occupy more than one character at a time, but he certainly could listen to everything Ron heard. Secondly, Kim was going to have to be very subtle about the hints she dropped to Ron about his current situation. Overt hints would again arouse Apollyon's suspicion, and he'd probably kill Ron upon discovery of Kim's encroachment. And for those same reasons, Kim could not reveal her true self to Ron. Telling him her identity would put both her and Ron in danger. Above all, Kim had to stay in character. Any aberrant behavior on her character's part would alert Apollyon to her presence.

Wade would monitor her progress at all times, and if he felt there was something even slightly amiss, he'd pull her out.

After a serious discussion of these rules, Kim finally was ready to go in. She would be given the ability to speak Latin, and the fighting style of a Roman soldier if need be. Wade was still hesitant, but he wasn't about to stand between his friend and her husband.

Wade had one final warning for her.

"If you are killed in the simulation, you will very likely die in reality. Even if it's just a simulated death, your mind will probably convince itself you are dying. There's not much I can do about that."

Kim nodded, "If I am killed, then at least I will be with him."

Wade nodded in response.

"Oh," Kim said, "And in case I don't come back. I'm supposed to give you something from Monique."

And here Kim playfully grabbed Wade's head and kissed him full on the mouth; nothing dirty or romantic, just a quick peck from his fiancé relayed through her friend.

Wade's eyes went wide and he turned a deep crimson. Kim laughed lightly, "I can't tell you how happy I am for the two of you."

"Just make sure you and Ron make it back for the wedding," Wade said seriously, "You guys are half the wedding party."

"I'll do my best," Kim said softly and got into the chair.

Wade took her hand and squeezed it quickly.

"Good luck."

Kim smiled back at him, but already she had a faraway look in her eye. She was anxious to go see her husband.

* * *

The rain had passed and the day dawned bright as evidenced by the sunlight streaming in through the narrow slit that served as a window in Ronaldus' quarters.

Ron opened his eyes and blinked. Then he sat bolt upright. There was someone in the room with him. He rubbed his eyes and blinked several times. Already his head and bruises felt much better.

The other person in the room was the signifer. He was staring intently at Ron, waiting for him to wake up.

"I apologize if I have startled you, Imperetor." He said humbly.

"Please," Ron groaned, "Don't call me that. What are you doing in here?"

"I wish to offer my apologies for my blunder yesterday," the soldier said, "It was a foolish thing for me to do, and it resulted in your injuries. I humbly ask your forgiveness."

Ron threw the soldier a tired wave, "I cannot think of such things just now. I am still waking up. Rest assured you have not made an enemy of me."

"I am glad to hear that," the signifer replied, "Because it is my wish to be your friend."

"That is good to know." Ron said dismissively, "You may go now."

The signifer hesitated, then stood up, "Apollos wanted you to know we will be passing through the Pillars of Hercules about midday. He thought you would enjoy viewing the passage."

"I would," Ron agreed, "Tell him I said thank you."

"I'll do that," the signifer confirmed and opened the door to let himself out.

"Oh," Ron said as if remembering something, "I never got your name."

"My name is Caeruleus Vulpes." The signifer replied brightly, and then stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"And odd name," Ron thought aloud to himself, "Caeruleus Vulpes… that means…'Blue Fox'?"

* * *

Wade watched nervously as Kim took her first steps into Apollyon's world. She'd just finished her first encounter with Ron and everything seemed to go well. So far there was no sign from Apollyon. Wade wasn't sure if-

Suddenly all his monitors went blank.

Wade frantically checked under his work station to see if there was some sort of power outage. All the connections seemed to be fine, no surges, no seeming glitches. When he straightened back up, there were five words centered on all of his monitors.

The same words were on each screen:

_I know she's in here._


	10. IX

Author's note: My apologies to those who might be frustrated at my long chapters (OK, I know some of you actually like them, which is great). Problem is, if my chapters weren't so long, this story would have about 35, 36 chapters and I really didn't want to do that. As it turned out, I even had to split this chapter in half. Yipes!

Story highlight: Potential Boy's come up with a wonderfully original plot twist in his story 'By My Side', which I actually pay homage to in this chapter. If you've already read it, then you'll spot the homage instantly, and if not, the link is in his profile (which you can find in the reviews section of REUNION).

Congratulations to: Recon 228, who actually sold one of his KP fics to a publisher/developer, though it should be noted that he removed KP and all related characters from the story and it will be sold as an original work starring original characters. May we all be similarly blessed in our own writing endeavors.

Thanks to: All who are reading. And thanks to the hit counter, there seem to be quite a few of you. Please feel free to drop a line in the review section. Like any writer, I crave the feedback. So just do it: Lather, Rinse, and Obey!

And, of course, Special Mad Props to my reviewing Posse: The Incredible Werekitty, zooc, Jezrianna2.0, JPMod, dude, PotentialBoy, Dreammuergurl2007, aimtbj, Willk1989, kemiztri, Mobius97, Sestren NK, LKillingsworth, Sand Lord, recon228, Who Cares What My Name Is, Widow Shark, MrDrP, Babymama9672.

Anyone know one of the Latin words for 'red'...?

* * *

IX.

* * *

Breakfast was bread, dried fish, and wine. 

Again.

And Ron still couldn't seem to satisfy his hunger. He figured it was just the cuisine. After all, he was accustomed to having pretty much whatever he wanted. Well, maybe not Bueno Nacho. The food chain had been closed for ten years and he still got nostalgic for it on occasion.

The thought that he was a little over fifteen hundred years away from Bueno Nacho was depressing. Gradually, over the past couple of days, Ron's situation began to sink in. He'd been preoccupied with pulling off his bluff. But now that everyone seemed to accept who he was, reality began to take hold.

If the bed had been more comfortable he never would have gotten out of it, although he supposed what motivated him most to get out of bed was the sudden and disturbing appearance of the signifer that morning. He didn't like the idea that someone could just sneak into his room without his knowing it, even if it was to offer an apology.

Ron went to Apollos to have a chat about this Caeruleus Vulpes person.

"I am very sorry, Imperator" the Centurion said.

"Please," Ron waved him off, "Just call me Ronaldus. I'm not comfortable with the title of Imperator."

"As you like," Apollos said amiably, "What would you like done with the signifer?"

"Nothing drastic," Ron insisted, "Just have a talk with him. Tell him he can't go barging into people's quarters while they're asleep. I know he wanted to make sure I wasn't angry with him. But sneaking into my quarters? That's just trying too hard."

"I will most certainly have a stern discussion with him," Apollos acknowledged, then he led Ron to the rail and gestured out to sea. In the distance was a land mass with a small break in the middle, they were headed toward that break. "We approach the Pillars of Hercules. We should make the passage in less than two hours."

"Excellent." Ron acknowledged, then a thought occurred to him, "Will the Princess come out on deck to view the passage?"

Apollos thought for a moment, "Very likely."

"Would you extend a formal invitation to her to view the passage with me?" Ron continued, "Perhaps we might set up a couple of chairs on the forward end of the deck. Something like this could break the ice between her and me."

Apollos brightened, "An excellent idea! Such a gesture would certainly be seen as a token of friendship on your part." He looked around to make sure no one could overhear, then leaned closer as if to confide in Ronaldus, "And perhaps she might see this as something more than friendship, eh? As I said, she is very lovely to behold."

"Perhaps," Ron allowed without enthusiasm. He was merely trying to play the part he had set up for himself.

"It is clear to me why the Imperial Senate would send you on such an important errand," Apollos said in open admiration, "I never would have thought of such a gesture. You know, an Imperator married to a Princess from Eyre would certainly solidify the relationship between her and the Empire."

Ron laughed, "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?"

"Of course, Imp-…ah, I mean Ronaldus," Apollos said with a knowing smile. He excused himself and went to find the signifer.

He found the standard bearer five minutes later.

"Come with me," Apollos said coldly to Caeruleus Vulpes.

Vulpes followed his superior officer below decks and into a tiny room, just large enough for two berths. This was the room Apollos shared with the captain of the vessel. Vulpes was ordered to sit on the lower berth while Apollos remained standing. Once the door was closed behind them, Apollos turned around with a sinister grin on his face.

_He knows,_ Kim thought anxiously.

"Did you really think you could just casually waltz in here undetected?" Apollyon growled.

"I had hoped," Vuilpes/Kim admitted.

"Just how stupid do you think I am?" Apollos asked.

"Well," Kim said slowly through the signifer, "I suppose that 's a question that remains unanswered. Just exactly who are you, Apollyon? Are you some villain Ron and I thwarted? Or just another addition to our long list of foes?"

"Oh," Apollos said through barely contained anger, "We've dealt with each other before, though I have changed quite a bit since the last time we interacted."

"OK," Kim said patiently, "Who were you then?"

Apollyon thought for a moment, "No. Not now. In the proper time I will perhaps reveal to you my true identity, but not now. I find it ironic that you should question my identity when you came into this world under a false guise."

"I came to try and get my husband out," Vulpes/Kim said defiantly, "By whatever means necessary."

"Then I gather your computer friend has informed you that you can't simply tell Ron he's trapped in a simulation." Apollos speculated.

"He said I was to keep quiet about it so as not to attract your attention. Seems there's no need to now." Vulpes/Kim said evenly.

"Oh but there is. A very great need." Apollos insisted, "I have not finished with Ron yet. I have a program monitoring everything that Ron hears. If you so much as even hint that this whole thing isn't real, I'll kill him…and you."

Kim could only glare at him furiously. And though it was Vulpes glaring at him, Apollyon got the message.

"Oh, you can kill me right now if you like, but I'll have pulled out of Apollos long before he dies. Then you and Ron will remain trapped here; my rats in an elaborate maze. And I could do such horrible things to the two of you… or I could just leave you here to rot, always pining for each other but never connecting. I don't think Ron's the type to go for 'signifers'. This is actually turning out to be quite fun. I'm glad you joined the party. You know, originally I was simply going to kill you once I discovered your presence here. But now, I think it'll be fun to watch you yearn for Ron while he's completely oblivious to your presence."

Kim bit her tongue. She was about to tell Apollos to check her and Ron's track record of getting out of elaborate deathtraps but that might just provoke him into something drastic and unexpected. For the time being, Apollyon intended to play his part in this little scenario of his, for what reason Kim had no idea. But it meant that she at least had a fighting chance to save Ron.

And Kim Stoppable was all about taking a fighting chance.

Apollos threw her a sadistic grin and turned to leave, "Oh, one more thing. Ronaldus asked me to speak to you about appearing in his quarters uninvited. You've been warned." He chuckled, "He's actually not very fond of you right now. And if you step out of line just a little bit, I'll have you punished as is proper for a Roman soldier. Trust me, Roman methods of punishment are not something to take lightly."

Apollos left Vulpes/Kim to chew on this. He threw open the door and confidently strode out to the below decks common area.

He bumped rather rudely into the chief of the Princess' guard, who just happened to be walking by the doorway.

"Out of my way, savage," Apollos snapped.

"How dare you show me such disrespect!" The guard roared, and before Apollos could react, the Eyre-ish warrior drove a hard right fist into his face. Apollos went crashing to the deck.

"Get up!" the guard challenged, "I will instruct you in the proper manner of addressing the Chief of the Royal Guard!"

He did not actually wait for Apollos to get up, however, instead choosing to haul him to his feet by the scruff of his tunic. The Chief drove his knee into Apollos' abdomen, violently knocking the wind out of him.

Vulpes leaped to his feet and rushed to the door. The Chief again brought Apollos roughly to his feet, this time driving his forehead straight into Apollos' nose. Bones cracked and blood erupted. Apollos crumpled up in a heap on the floor.

Ronaldus appeared at the bottom of the ladder and strode over to the Chief.

"Cease this at once," He barked, glaring at the rough warrior. Vulpes stood and gaped.

"I defer to you because you are the high ranking Roman soldier aboard this vessel. I suggest you teach this dog how to show proper respect to the Chief of the Princess' Guard." He growled, but with a tone if respect.

"He will not trouble you again. I assure you of this," Ronaldus said hurriedly. "I will speak of this to the Princess this afternoon. What is your name, please?"

"I am Runewyyd ," He answered. He was a hulking brute of a man, a foot taller than Apollos or Ronaldus. His form was hardened and chiseled, almost as if it were carved from a reddish marble. His hair was a deep auburn, as was his beard, and his skin was very fair. White, coloring almost to a pinkish hue. His two front teeth were slightly larger than the rest.

Ronaldus stooped to tend to Apollos. Runewyyd turned to Vulpes.

"My friends know me by my secret name," He said in a low whisper no one else could hear, "To them I am known as 'Crimson.'"

He winked at Vulpes, and then put a serious look on his face again as Apollos began to come around. Vulpes gasped, then put his hand to his mouth, finally stooping over to help Ronaldus with Apollos.

Vulpes/Kim's mind raced. He was sure the one who called himself Crimson had winked at him. But there was more than that. Yes it was a little odd that an Eyre-ish warrior could speak Latin. But it was what he had called himself that caught Vulpes' attention.

In the Latin language, there are several words to describe the different shades of red. The Latin word for Crimson often means 'ruddy', or 'reddish'.

What's that Latin word, you ask?

Rufus.

* * *

Wade stared at his monitors, his mind had gone instantly numb. 

How?

In a panic, he whipped his head around to look at Kim. The monitors that kept track of her vital signs all read normal. She was breathing, and didn't seem to be in any distress.

Wade turned his attention back to the five words still sitting dead center on all his screens. Kim hadn't been in there twenty minutes before she'd been discovered. And from what Wade could tell, she hadn't done anything to give herself awa-

Sudden realization caused Wade to utter a startled yelp and jump back. It wasn't her, it was him. The fact that he'd connected to her so he could monitor what was happening had tipped Apollyon off to her presence. Then he'd simply traced the connection back to Wade.

Gingerly, as though it might bite or otherwise harm him, Wade touched one of the keys on his keyboard. Instantly all the screens returned to normal. Wade pulled a few thing up and ran diagnostics on all his equipment. Everything was running fine. He couldn't find a trace of Apollyon in his systems. Then he realized Apollyon probably had a program that superimposed itself over whatever information was on his screen, and it was meant to look like the monitors had gone dead.

Clever. It was made to look like Apollyon had taken over the system when in fact all he had done was upload a simple graphics program. Then he could communicate with whoever was looking at the monitor.

But apparently Apollyon had only stayed long enough to leave his message, further proving to Wade that he couldn't concentrate his attention on more than one thing at a time. And no doubt he was back in his simulation. Wade hoped Kim was still safe.

Wade isolated one computer and left it as is. The rest he enabled with his own security software. Basically it was a mega-firewall, virtually impossible to penetrate and which activated alarms when someone – or something – tried to get through it. The one unprotected monitor he left for Apollyon to come back and visit, but that isolated system had no information of any value on it. Wade made sure the information wasn't completely useless. It had to look like it was his primary computer; the one he used all the time.

His phone rang. It was Wil Du.

"I think you'd better come over. There's been a couple of new developments and I don't feel comfortable talking over the phone." Wade informed him.

"Nor do I," Du responded. "I'll be right there."

Wade turned his attention back to the isolated system. He used it to activate the flare hidden in Apollyon's programming. Once again, he locked in the location and began to pull up files of the simulation. Since he was simply observing what was in the files and not actually removing or erasing them, he hoped Apollyon's attention was focused on the simulation itself.

It took awhile to bypass Apollyon's security layers, but Wade was surprised when he reached the last of them. Wade had twice as many layers on his own system, and he'd seen systems of far less intelligent villains with heavier security measures. Then it occurred to Wade that though Apollyon was intelligent, he was not experienced. He was not accustomed to having anyone look into his files.

Or.

Maybe he was. Once.

Wade pulled up Rufus' artificial brain and scanned through the files. There were no security measures in place because Wade needed access to the files in order to make any necessary modifications. Or to delete something. It had never occurred to him to put any security measures into Rufus' artificial mind.

So it was possible that Apollyon, too, was not accustomed to having security measures in place around him. Because at one time, someone probably had regular access to him and would either add or delete files, or at the very least look at their content.

Conclusion: Apollyon was an artificial brain.

And Wade could think of only two people that had their intelligence transferred into artificial brain technology; Kim and Ray Beam.

Assuming the artificial Kim brain really had been wiped clean when her clone died… that left the known possibilities to one person. And that one person would most definitely have a grudge against Ron Stoppable.

Then something caught Wade's attention. Rufus' artificial brain was active. Too active to just be sleeping. Wade pulled up an interface program and typed.

'Where are you?'

No response.

'Rufus? Are you all right?'

Again no response.

Then, _I am all right. Please do not ask where I am, and please do not come try to find me._

'Why?'

_If I tell you, anyone observing our exchange might be able to guess where I am._

'Are you in danger?'

_I will be if we keep talking. Don't worry about me. And please do not block my access to the web._

Wade didn't know how to respond to this. Then, 'I was going to delete some of the recent memory files in your artificial mind. That way you don't have to remember any of the things Apollyon did to you.'

_NO! I need that information! I must go now. Don't delete anything!_

'OK', Wade was perplexed, 'I won't delete anything without your permission.'

_One last thing. Now that I know Latin, I think you should investigate the meaning of Tempus Simia. Apollyon thought about it a lot while he had control of me._

"'Now that I know Latin?'" Wade was puzzled.

Then a startling realization a few seconds later.

"He's is in the simulation! YEAH! GO RUFUS!" He shouted wildly at the monitor.

He could barely control his excitement as he typed.

'Disconnecting now. Good luck, buddy.'

There was no response. Wade realized Rufus was worried he might tip off Apollyon to his whereabouts the way he had when monitoring Kim. He had to let go and trust they could somehow take care of themselves.

A few minutes later, Wil Du arrived. Wade had quite a bit of news for him.

* * *

Apollyon still wasn't sure what had happened. 

While Apollos was unconscious, he pulled out and checked the files of this Chief of the Princess' guard, and found nothing out of the ordinary. He had, of course, given the guard a barbarian's personality so that certainly might mean he would act in such a way.

Apollyon cursed his inability to multi-task; which was ironic because at one time he was able to control more than fifty clones at once. But he had them all doing the same thing. Multiple personalities was something entirely different. As much as he would have preferred having total control over the scenario down to the last detail, there was a larger purpose at work here, and he was forced to allow the simulation to run independently, with characters who had lives and wills of their own.

He wrote it off as coincidence, and decided he needed to be more careful next time. Because he'd intended to inflict pain on Ron stoppable, he programmed the simulation's characters to feel. And it had just backfired on him.

At some point in the future, he was going to have to remember to delete his pain receptors. But then, 'at some point in the future' was rapidly becoming a moot point.

Apollyon had to get back into Apollos and revive him or else Ron might get suspicious. It hadn't occurred to Apollyon that the character of Runewyyd (names were programmed to generate at random as needed by the scenario's players, so long as they were either Eyre-ish or Roman) might be inhabited by another artificial mind. Since he himself was one, all the characters in the simulation had the same construct. To him, Runewyyd looked no different.

* * *

The cloud-flecked sky was a clear azure that reflected in the deeper blue of the Mediterranean. A good breeze kept the normally glassy sea dotted with whitecaps, as though millions of tiny sheep had decided to go body surfing. 

Ron breathed in the crisp, salty air as he stood at the bow of the vessel waiting for the Princess to finally emerge from her spacious quarters astern.

At last, the signifer, Vulpes, ascended the ladder, gazed at Ron for a few seconds, then brought a trumpet to his lips.

It was probably the worst fanfare Ron had ever heard anyone play. How on earth did this soldier manage to become standard bearer for a legion in the Roman Army?

They had been waiting for the Princess to come up on deck for the last two hours. In that time, Ron had decided to put his former life in Middleton behind him. Denial could be damaging, but Ron had come to the conclusion that sometimes denial made for a nice band-aid when you were trapped fifteen hundred years before you were supposed to be born.

Thoughts of Kim were just too painful. He'd spent the last two days of recovery thinking about her. He poured over every memory he could conjure up. Good and bad. He found even some of the unpleasant memories had their bittersweet qualities. They weren't fond memories, but at least Kim was in them.

He put himself through memories of their Pre-K days, of playing hide-and-go-seek after school in the elementary years. Ron's dad had built them a treehouse when they were ten, and they had spent their time up there pretending to be pirates in a flying ship, stealing money from other pirates and giving it to the poor, or smugglers running medicine to needy peasants in third world countries with corrupt governments. Even in those early days Kim had a desire to help people, and it manifested itself in their games together.

That summer at Wannaweep was actually something of a fond memory. Kim had wanted to go too but her family was taking a long vacation that year. Both she and Ron had gone home crying after they said goodbye.

Junior high, with its brutal peer pressure and awkward cliques; Kim had remained his friend almost defiantly despite the fact that they were being pulled in two different social directions.

And, of course, that was when she and Ron began the hero work. It never occurred to Ron to want credit for his part in Team Possible. So what if people only remembered Kim's name? As far as he was concerned, she did all the hard work anyway.

High School was a long buffet of memories as social misfit/sidekick whose best friend was a popular cheerleader/teen hero. The many adventures shared together, the many villains thwarted. And at last, their coming together.

The thought of that night at the Prom caused him to think of even more recent, more painful memories. Memories of a blissful marriage. They weren't unpleasant memories, but painful precisely because they were happy ones, and he'd never get to experience them again. Even things as mundane as grocery shopping together brought waves of anguish and misery over him.

Memories of making love to her brought tears, and a dismay that pierced his very soul. Though he kept his voice in check, not wanting anyone else on board to hear, Ron cried bitter, despairing tears long into that second night, finally stopping a mere two hours before he woke up to the presence of the signifer in his room.

For a forty-eight hour period, Ron tortured himself with all this, and then decided he couldn't live in anguish. Letting himself die wasn't an option. He'd made a promise, even if it was to someone who wouldn't be born for more than a millennium hence, it was still a promise. Kim would want him to go on. Because she would go on if the situation were reversed. She'd be just as miserable as him, but she'd go on. The strength to overcome self-pity was something he'd learned from her.

The Irish guards had emerged, and finally so did the Chief; the one called Runewyyd. He too, gazed at Ronaldus for a few seconds, then looked over his men. The Irish Guard stood at attention while the contingent of roman soldiers on board – about twenty – also stood at attention. Apollos had apparently decided to make the passage through the Pillars of Hercules an official event, full of ceremony and pomp.

Then the Princess emerged. Every male head on the boat turned in her direction in abject admiration.

She was radiantly beautiful. She was tall, just a little taller than Ron, had deep auburn hair that cascaded down over her shoulders, piercing green eyes that crinkled a little when she laughed or smiled, and just the barest hint of freckles splashed across the bridge of her nose and upper cheeks. She was stately in appearance, wearing a gown of fine purple cotton trimmed with a deep green that left her arms bare.

She walked, or rather glided over to Ron and bowed, her arms floating out sideways in a semi-curtsy; grace personified.

Ron bowed a stiff, awkward bow in return, meeting her gaze when he straightened up. She smiled warmly at him and this only seemed to increase her beauty tenfold.

Apollos led them both to the waiting chairs at the forward end of the deck. Runewyyd stood close behind the Princess, and Apollos directed Vulpes to stand as Ronaldus' guard.

"How is the nose?" Ronaldus whispered to the Centurion.

"It will heal my friend," Apollos whispered back amiably. The bleeding had been stopped, but the nose was colored several ugly shades of blue and purple, "I am more interested in how your first meeting with the Princess will go."

"As am I."

Apollos stood in front of them and presented them both to each other.

"My lady," He said, first to her, "I present to you Ronaldus Sicarius; Patrician, and Imperator of the Empire of Rome. I am told he was born with a Briton's name, that of Succat Morgannwg."

"Ah," She said turning to face him. Her voice was a lilting, soothing song, "I did not know the Britons grew their sons so fair. Had I known my host was such a handsome lord, I would have come out of my chambers long before now."

Ronaldus blushed deeply.

Vulpes gritted his teeth.

Runewyyd narrowed his eyes.

Apollos grinned knowingly at Ron, then sadistically at Vulpes.

"You flatter me, Princess," Ron said almost shyly.

"Not at all, my liege," She returned with a coy smile.

"And to you, Imperator," Apollos continued, smiling broadly, "I present Kimarrah, second in line to the throne of the Gaels of Eyre; mightiest tribe upon the island."

Kimarrah nodded her head at Apollos who took his leave, throwing a quick wink at Vulpes as he did.

"A fine day for the passage, is it not?" Ron gestured outward, trying to avert her eyes from him.

"It certainly has turned into one," the Princess said softly., "I find myself glad there are still many days ahead of us on this journey."

"Yes," Ron said nervously, "That will give us ample time to discuss my mission of diplomacy."

"I'm sure of it," She practically purred, "And more besides… to discuss many other possibilities."

"My lady," Runewyyd interrupted, "I must go below decks and take stock of our provisions. We will not be within sight of a port for many more days after we pass through the Pillars of Hercules. I would like to make sure we are adequately supplied."

"Yes, yes, of course," Kimarrah waved him off dismissively, then turned a sultry gaze back to Ronaldus, "Do what you must. I will place myself in the Imperator's perfectly capable hands."

While Apollos was 'resting' below decks, Apollyon withdrew from the character and perused the files of the Princess. He didn't intend to stay long. It was bad enough having to pretend to be Stoppable's friend when he would rather be watching him suffer, but he wasn't about to try and seduce 'Ronaldus'. The Princess would take care of that. He just needed to do a little fine tuning on the program. She was coming on a little too strong, though he was rather enjoying the looks Vulpes/Kim was giving the two of them.

* * *

"This is why I will never recruit her as an agent for GJ," Du barked angrily, staring at Kim in the Immersion Chair, "This course of action is foolhardy at best. I never would have allowed her to do this, and frankly, I'm surprised you did." 

Wade shrugged sheepishly, "You know how she is. If I hadn't allowed her to go in, she very well might have asked Apollyon himself to let her in."

"Is she OK at least?" Du growled. He remembered just exactly why he and Kim had their differences all those years ago. She went charging in where a highly trained agent would know to tread lightly.

"I hope so."

"What do you mean, you hope so?" Du snapped. He was angry, and Wade was the only one there to vent his frustrations to.

"Apollyon detected her almost the moment she went in," Wade said guiltily.

"Has anything happened to her?"

"Life signs still read normal," Wade offered.

"Which means Apollyon still wants her for some purpose. That is, if her mind hasn't been scrambled." Wil turned his deductions over in his mind, as well as the other news Wade gave him, "I'll have several GJ Sweeper Teams called up and sent to Deathray's old lair with electronic detection equipment. But chances are if we didn't find Apollyon before, we aren't likely to again."

"There's something else," Wade said, almost timidly.

"What?" Du snapped, then his face softened, "I am sorry, Wade. I am frustrated to no end at the way things have progressed. And now this." He gestured at Kim, "Clearly there's a reason Stoppable married her. It would take a man with his enormous sense of humor and relaxed attitude to deal with one so stubborn and headstrong."

"Hey now, they aren't here to defend themselves." Wade practically scolded.

"You're right," Wil relented, "Truth is, I'm worried, about both of them now. When I get worried, I get a little irritable. My wife usually tells me where I can go when I get this way."

"Oh!" Wade exclaimed, remembering something, "That reminds me, I found a bunch of files in Apollyon's simulation program that don't seem to have anything to do with the actual simulation. They're mostly complex quantum calculations. I was wondering if your wife could take a look at them. It feels to me like they're pieces of a big puzzle but I can't seem to put them together."

"Wade," Du said, "You know Justine doesn't do that kind of work any more."

"Yes," Wade acknowledged, "I'm aware she' no longer involved in this kind of research. But I figured if she could just take a look at these. I mean, this is Doctor Justine Flanner we're talking about. Before she quit her research, she was the world's foremost authority on Quantum Mechanics. It might go a long way toward helping Ron and Kim…and catching Apollyon."

"Maybe," Wil allowed, "But she made me promise I wouldn't use her in this capacity. GJ is my thing, and she supports it as long as I don't come to her for Quantum advice. You gotta understand, Wade, whatever discovery she made before we were married really spooked her. So much so that she quit her research and wouldn't even tell me what it was all about. I'm afraid that's just not an option we have."

"OK," Wade said, sounding a little disappointed, "There's one more thing. Rufus told me that while Apollyon had control of him, he heard the phrase 'Tempus Simia' in his thoughts a lot."

"'Tempus Simia'?" Du asked, squinting his eyes in concentration, "Where have I heard that before?"

"The mission Kim was on just before we discovered Ron was missing," Wade informed him, "Monkey Fist had stolen the Tempus Simia idol from the Tri-City museum and used it to open some sort of vortex in a temple in Africa."

"Yeah, OK," Du acknowledged.

"There isn't much more that I know about the idol, or the power it has to open vortices, but something that had escaped me before caught my attention when I looked up the Latin meanings of the name of the idol." Wade exposited.

"And…?"

"'Time Monkey'".

"Time Monkey," Du mentally connected a few dots, "And Apollyon's linked to this somehow. At the very least, they seem to be working together."

"That much is certain," Wade said, "Looks like Apollyon ran interference on Ron while Monkey Fist pulled off his heist."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, Monkey Fist is a Ron Stoppable magnet. Every time he's ever tried anything, Ron's always been there to foil it." Wade explained.

"So you think Apollyon is just trying to keep Stoppable occupied while Monkey Fist does whatever he's doing?" Du queried.

"Yeah," Wade confirmed, "But it's more than that. Apollyon's running a simulation involving time travel. There's got to be a connection that goes beyond diversionary. That's where I think these quantum calculations come in."

Du thought for a moment.

"They could provide us with the answers we need, " Wade prodded.

"I'll ask," Du finally relented, "But no promises. She's not going to like this."

"I understand," Wade acknowledged. Then to ease Du's mind, he thought he'd pay the man a compliment, "Oh, hey, I read a couple of your stories. I really liked your Speed Racer fan fictions."

"Oh," Du said somewhat self-consciously, " Those are… I just…"

"No," Wade enthused, "I think they're great! I mean, I thought making Racer X turn out to be Speed's mom was a little bit of a stretch in the plausibility department, but they were nicely paced, well-written tales. It gave the series a more realistic depth, I thought. Just one question, though."

"What's that?" Du said, smiling for the first time.

"Why did you kill off Chim-Chim in every story? I mean, every single story you wrote, Chim-Chim dies some horrible accidental death. What's up with that?" Wade was just curious.

Wil Du's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched and his jaw tightened. He spoke through gritted teeth, "_I… Hate... That... Monkey_."

"Well, yeah I see th-"

"No," Du cut him off, "You don't see. They put that stupid little monkey in every episode just to appeal to the little brats who had no clue what Speed Racer was all about. And the only thing Chim-Chim did was jump around and make chimpy noises. Sometimes at random. No. That monkey _had _to die. Again and again."

"Ooooookaaaaayyy," Wade instantly regretted his attempt to cheer Du up, "There's a phone upstairs if you want to call Justine right now."

"You know that monkey was evil," Du said quietly, "Everyone knows."

"Right. Yes. Evil Monkey. I'm beginning to see why you and Ron get along so well." Wade almost groaned.

"I'll go call my wife." Du seemed to snap out of it.

"Great idea!" Wade enthused, then collapsed in his chair after Du disappeared upstairs.

_Note to self: never compliment anyone for any reason ever again._

* * *

Ron found he was rather disappointed in the Pillars of Hercules. With such a mystically poetic name he thought the pillars would be an ancient ruin of some kind. After all, the Latin translation of Oceanus Mediterranean was 'Sea of Middle Earth'. How mystically poetic did that sound? 

But since the 'Sea of Middle Earth' _was _just the Mediterranean Ocean after all, he should not have been surprised to find the Pillars of Hercules were just the large rock formations that flanked the straits where the Mediterranean met the Atlantic. Ron remembered the formation on the right was - or would be – called Gibraltar. But he couldn't remember what the southern formation would later be named.

Thankfully, the Princess had been silent for some time. Apparently she was content to watch the large formations of rock drift slowly by. The Chief Guard had apparently finished with his inventory and quietly resumed his post behind her.

"Ah!" the Princess cried out, clapping her hands with delight.

Ron followed her gaze and looked to see dozens of tiny fishing boats dotted about the waters of the relatively narrow straits. He wasn't sure what exactly was so exciting about this, but then this was an age long before TV and video games. Such things were cause for enjoyment, he supposed.

Ron watched as the northern Pillar of Hercules gradually slid by. It stood as an imposing sentinel, looming above the ocean. The seas seemed to be getting choppier as with each wave, the prow lifted higher into the air. The currents of the Atlantic were swirling with the calmer waters of the Mediterranean.

Then the prow of their vessel turned rather sharply to the left, the boat came about and seemed to founder in the wind for a few seconds. Murmurs drifted across the deck. No one seemed to know why they had just turned off their course.

The Princess reached out and touched Ron's hand, "Is everything all right? Why have we come about?"

Ron looked around for Apollos and couldn't see him. He turned to Vulpes who seemed to be staring at the Princess. But then, wasn't everyone?

"Signifer," Ron caught the soldier's attention, "Go and find out why we have deviated from our course."

"Yes, my liege," Vulpes answered, casting one last look at the Princess, then over at Runewyyd before heading off.

"I'm sure everything is all right," Ron assured her.

"As long as you are close to me, then I am not worried," She replied, squeezing his hand.

Ron noticed Runewyyd was now staring at the Princess.

Vulpes returned with a report, "My liege," he said haltingly, "The captain reports there is a fog before us, and it would not be wise to sail into it considering the proximity and rocky nature of the coastline."

Ron took his hand from the Princess' grasp, stood up and walked over to the bow. There was indeed a rather dark fog bank rolling in from the Atlantic. It seemed to be advancing upon them quite rapidly.

"Perhaps we should put in to shore until this passes?" Vulpes suggested.

"Oh!" The Princess exclaimed, "A lovely idea. You and I might climb the Pillar of Hercules together. We can make camp near the beach for the night and perhaps the mist will have cleared by tomorrow."

"Or we might simply anchor off shore and await the clearing of the mist," Vulpes countered.

Ron thought for a moment, then turned to Vulpes, "Tell the captain to put in at the nearest available harbor. We'll drop anchor near the shore and await the passing of this fog."

Vulpes saluted by putting his fist over his heart. He seemed very enthusiastic about Ron's choice, "As you command, my liege."

"And inform Centurion Apollos when he comes up on deck," Ron called after the signifer.

"Oh," The Princess pouted to Ron when he returned to his chair, "I was hoping very much to spend some time alone with you. I think it a good idea we get to know each other very well."

"There will be plenty of time for that, my lady." Ron said firmly, then checked himself, "I promise we will share a few meals alone together on our way to Eyre."

"My lady," Runewyyd interjected, "I believe the Imperator is right in this. If we were to put in to shore and be overtaken by the fog, thieves or marauders might use such an opportunity to relieve us of our supplies and valuables."

"An excellent point," Ronaldus agreed.

The Princess seemed to accept this, but still sulked a little.

The murmurs on deck increased in volume. Ron noticed even the sailors looked worried. He got up again and went to the railing, peering out at the fog bank. There was something odd about this mist. It seemed to be advancing upon them. Then it occurred to Ron.

The fog was moving against the wind. They had been sailing in the direction of the fog bank and when they had turned away, had foundered, the sails flapping as the wind blew perpendicular to them.

What kind of fog moves against the wind?

"Very odd, is it not?" The Princess had come to stand next to him. "This mist seems to move with a power of its own. The sailors grow nervous."

"They aren't the only ones," Ron muttered to himself.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," He said dismissively, "I think you should get below decks until this has passed. Whatever it is."

The Princess pouted again, "Oh, but I have been in my cramped chambers for almost three days now. I wish to remain here with you."

"I think the Imperator is correct again," Runewydd said behind them, "Look, the mist begins to overtake us. I think we should leave the deck in the hands of the sailors. They will be busy enough without having to worry about us being underfoot."

The Princess' pout increased, but she relented. She took her leave of Ron and began to make her way below decks. Runewyyd looked at Ronaldus and nodded. Ron nodded back and gazed after the warrior from Eyre.

_What was that? _

Runewyyd had just looked at him in a way that seemed to indicate familiarity, as though they knew each other better than they did.

* * *

Dr. Justine Du, formerly known as Justine Flanner - the world's foremost authority on quantum mechanics until she retired from the field – looked visibly annoyed when she appeared on Wade's monitor. 

"Doctor!" Wade greeted her enthusiastically, "Hi, how are you?"

"We can drop the formalities, Wade. Wil said you needed me to take a look at something. Did he tell you I don't do this kind of work any more?" She cast an accusatory look at her husband, who was standing sheepishly behind Wade.

"He mentioned that, yes," Wade acknowledged, "But I could really use your help on this. Some of this stuff has me downright stumped."

"I suppose I should be flattered that a super-genius such as yourself is asking for my help," Justine said forlornly.

Wade didn't know how to answer this.

"What else did your husband tell you?" Wade asked, moving on.

"Kim and Ron are trapped in some kind of virtual reality involving time travel." Justine said without any kind of emotion. To her, Kim and Ron were always trapped somewhere by someone. Though not so much Kim lately. Justine didn't much care for Kim's lifestyle, and was rather disappointed to hear from her husband that Kim was returning to hero work. She'd once been on a mission with Kim, and though the outcome was a success, she didn't much care for all that excitement.

"Yeah," Wade confirmed, "But there's a lot here I just can't figure out. I thought maybe you could. Might be really helpful to Kim and Ron's situation. Here, at least take a look at this."

Wade isolated one of the calculations he'd copied from Apollyon's files and e-mailed it to her. It took up several pages of text.

Justine spent a few minutes looking at what Wade sent her. There was a bit of an awkward silence between Wade and Du. Wade was a little afraid to make small talk with the man now.

"You said you have a few more like this?" Justine finally spoke. She looked very troubled.

"Dozens," Wade confirmed. "Can you make sense of it?"

"I think so, though if my suspicions are correct, we're going to wish I hadn't."

"Is it that bad?" Wade grew concerned.

"I don't want to say any more until I see everything. I'll be right over."

The monitor went blank.

* * *

"Here's your Pan Dementia whatever," Shego said, handing a small canister-like object to Dr. Drakken. 

"Vortex Inducer," Drakken corrected absently. Without further acknowledgment, he took the cylindrical object and moved to a work station, muttering to himself.

"Um, Doctor D… Drew… you know tonight's Friday, right?" Nothing about his behavior put her at ease. Quite the opposite in fact.

"Yes, Shego, thank you. I'm perfectly aware of what day it is." Drakken said without looking up from his work, "I'm going to have to give you a rain check for tonight."

OK, whatever was wrong, it was serious. Since he'd escaped from prison more than a year ago, Drakken had never once missed a Friday night Karaoke session down at the club. Rumor had had it that he'd even instituted a Karaoke night at the French prison where he was being held. (Those rumors, by the way, were true, but most of the inmates only wanted to hear him sing Edith Piaf songs and he wasn't particularly fond of her work. Drakken eventually gave up in frustration.)

"Are you going to let me in on what's happening around here?" Shego's worry and frustration were growing palpable. She'd never seen him like this.

"All in due time Shego. I want to make sure I'm right about this before proceeding." He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her, "Though, frankly, I really hope I'm wrong about this."

_Huh? Since when did Drakken actually hope he was wrong about one of his schemes?_

For perhaps the first time in her life, Shego began to be very afraid.

* * *

The mist overtook them like a silent wave, rolling upon them, swirling around the masts and creeping along the surface of the deck. The sailors were muttering about bad omens and misfortune. Ron hadn't seen Apollos for quite some time now and was beginning to worry about him. He considered sending Vulpes down to wake him up, but then brushed away his worry, figuring Apollos just wanted to rest from his broken nose. 

_No pain killers in the fifth century,_ Ron thought to himself, _He must be enduring quite a bit of agony._

The fog turned very dark very quickly. Torches were lit as the sails were taken down and stowed. Since they couldn't see anything, they didn't want to be driven into the rocky shore by the wind.

The signifer stood nearby, watching him. Ron walked over to the soldier.

"What do you make of this?" He asked Vulpes.

"I've never seen anything like it… my liege," Vulpes admitted, "I don't think anyone aboard has. But it is just a mist. What harm has ever come from that?"

"True," Ronaldus agreed, "But I have seen more innocuous things in my life that turned out to be harmful."

"Such as…? Vulpes prodded.

"I once watched a young woman slowly disappear before my eyes because she had breathed in an extract from a rare flower. She would slowly vanish every time she felt embarrassment." Ron mused nostalgically.

"Oh, that's right," Vulpes observed, "I had forgotten about that."

"What?" Ron asked, looking directly at him.

"I…" the signifer stammered, "I mean…. I believe I heard that tale somewhere."

"Did you?" Ron asked with a curious look on his face, "Tell me something. Where did you get a name like Caeruleus Vulpes?"

"Oh," Vulpes aaid, thinking, "I took an exam when I was very young. The outcome indicated this would be the best name for me."

"An exam."

"Yes, my liege."

"An exam said your name should be 'Blue Fox'?

"Yes, my liege."

"What kind of exam was this?"

"One that involved animals and the placement of the stars in the heavens." Vulpes said cryptically.

Ron looked very hard at the signifer. He was about to speak when a commotion was heard below decks. A soldier came scrambling up the ladder.

"Help!" he cried, "Imperator, help!"

* * *

Shock. 

Confusion.

Apollyon was not used to feeling such things. He couldn't figure out what had happened. He quickly examined the simulation files but the only files that were being kept were those dealing with the potential outcome of the simulation. All other files were immediately purged so they couldn't take up needed storage space.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

But then again, he designed this latest simulation to have a life of its own. To be absolutely sure of an authentic outcome, Apollyon was forced to allow the characters to act independently without his influence. He'd just recently realized this when he was attempting to tamper with the files of the Princess' character. Any adjustment at this late juncture could very likely result in glitches, and thus a failure of the simulation. Yes, Stoppable would be killed if that happened, and Apollyon was fine with that, but he needed to know for sure if the outcome of the simulation was the one he'd intended. Now he couldn't erase characters or change the parameters of the simulation. It was locked into its course and had to be played through to the end if he wanted to see his hoped-for results.

The fog bank. That was supposed to happen. He knew about that. But this…this wasn't supposed to happen. And he knew for certain it wasn't Vulpes/Kim that had done it. He/she'd remained up on deck the whole time.

So who? And more importantly why? And why hadn't he anticipated something like this?

When he was done perusing the Princess' personality files, realizing it was too late to change any of them without running the risk of serious glitches, Apollyon had tried to return to the Apollos character.

Except…

* * *

"What is it, soldier?" Ron asked. The fear on the soldier's face was obvious. 

"My liege," He said, panting and out of breath, "Please come below decks. The Centurion has been murdered!"

"Come with me," Ron said to Vulpes. Together they made their way over to the ladder.

Vulpes looked about as they walked across the deck. He caught the eye of Runewyyd, who was gazing at her.

Runewyyd's eyes narrowed as a slow, mischievous smile spread across his face.


	11. X

Author's note: OK, this is where we learn exactly what Apollyon's big plan was all about. I've tried to make the explanation as clear as possible, but if it doesn't come across clearly, I would like to hear about it so that I can elaborate next chapter. There's still very little humor, which was why I packed previous chapters with so much of it. Don't worry, though, there are a few comedic breaks coming in subsequent chapters. The story will not be so dark all the way through to its end.

Thanks to: all who are reading. UNION has received more than fifteen hundred hits since the counters were instituted (which is what, three, four days ago?). It's a bit overwhelming. And yes, I realize a lot of those are readers who have clicked on the story more than two or three times but still…

Extra Special Thanks to those who are taking the time to review. Your kind words are appreciated as always: Widow Shark, BabyMama9672, Dreammergurl2007, Sestren NK, Kemiztri, recon228, Jezrianna2.0, JPMod, Sand Lord, Potential Boy, Encroaching Darkness, Cold-Chaos, MrDrP, Jokerisdaking, SpriteKin, aimtbj, LKillingsworth, Mobius97, willk1989, Porphyria-Kris, and Tusconcoyote.

OK class, pay attention to Dr. Flanner, because if you don't understand what she's talking about…well, that would be my fault, wouldn't it?

* * *

X.

* * *

Rufus rather enjoyed being a human.

Oh, sure, at first he had to resist the urge to scamper up on Ron's shoulder the first time he saw him. That might have made for one seriously awkward moment; this hulking brute of a man trying to climb up on the shoulders of the Roman Patrician. Awkward, and of course, dangerous for them all.

But he did enjoy being able to talk in complete sentences, and in Latin no less! Speaking was something a mole rat voice box was not designed to do. But now he was able to carry on whole conversations and not just gibber and chatter. Talking in the ethereal world of the internet was even easier. When Wade had contacted him, he could respond almost as a matter of thought, and he sensed, rather than heard what Wade typed back to him in reply.

But perhaps what he enjoyed most was the fact that, thus far, Apollyon had no clue he was in here. When he'd first arrived in the character of Runewyyd, he was somewhat disoriented and had a hard time just walking upright.

He got over it quickly.

Soon, he was able to uncover which character Kim had taken over. Actually, it was a little too obvious. As Vulpes, she'd snuck into Ron's room and watched him sleep for an hour or so. It almost broke his heart, the thought of her, in the guise of a Roman soldier, sitting there watching her husband sleep and being unable to even touch him. The image filled him with a cold resolve.

Even if he had to lose his life, he'd see that Ron got out of this, and that Apollyon would be force-fed a little justice, courtesy of one enraged mole rat.

When Apollos sought out Kim and took her into his quarters, he made his way to the door and pressed his ear to it. If it sounded like Kim was in trouble, he would go in there and hand Apollos his own heart while it was still beating. But fortunately for Kim, Apollyon had his own games to play.

Rufus knew he could almost count on Apollyon leaving her alive just to satisfy some twisted desire to watch her suffer. Every villain had the same weakness; an inflated sense of indestructibility.

He chuckled to himself. Apollyon had just been given a lesson in the fallacy of such personality traits. And, like every good villain, Apollos would not learn it until too late. Rufus simply waited outside the door, knowing Apollos would give him some excuse, no matter how flimsy, to give him a good thrashing.

But Ron had interfered before he was finished, and so Rufus had to content himself with at least having hurt Apollos, and by extension Apollyon, a little. Then Rufus, virtually speaking, sat back and held his breath as Apollyon came nosing around the character files that comprised Runewyyd. After a time, however, he went away, never having detected Rufus' presence.

Score one for the good guys, virtually speaking.

Most of his time under Apollyon's control was while Rufus' artificial mind was asleep. But during the brief time when Rufus was strapping Ron to the Immersion chair, he was privy to some of Apollyon's thoughts. Apollyon was aware of this, of course and kept most of his thoughts closely guarded. During certain times, though, when an important process needed to be completed, such as inserting the feeding tubes into Ron's arm, Apollyon's guard would drop briefly. At the time, Rufus was too preoccupied with enduring the horror of helping Apollyon torture his friend. But later, pieces of Apollyon's thoughts would come to him, such as the Tempus Simia, for instance, and he would remember a few of the things Apollyon had been thinking about when his guard began to fall.

Rufus realized that Apollyon could not divide his attention too much, and things would begin to go unnoticed. To test that theory, Rufus had picked the fight with Apollos. It seemed he was right. Apollyon was puzzled by Runewyyd's behavior, but not suspicious. He had his mind on other things.

The next logical step was to find out what happened to Apollyon if his character was killed. Rufus didn't consider it murder any more than he did when he played video games with Ron. These weren't real people. Yes, there was the risk of Apollyon taking out some kind of retribution on Ron. But Rufus figured the only way he could do that was by having another character attack him. And Since Ron was the high ranking soldier aboard the boat. It would be extremely out of character for anyone to hurt him in some way.

There was the possibility that they would make landfall, and Apollyon could program the locals to attack, but Rufus was willing to fight them off. Apollyon's only other option was some sort of freakish coincidence, like lightning striking Ron, or a giant squid attacking the boat.

But that wasn't very likely.

Rufus knew, from his brief conscious time as Apollyon's unwilling slave, that Apollyon was a meticulous planner. He planned everything down to the last foreseeable detail. On the other hand, he was horrible at improvisational thinking. Rufus confirmed this when he put the beat down on Apollos. Apollyon was momentarily caught off guard.

Good to know.

A combination of factors, including the fact that Apollyon couldn't think on his virtual feet, and that Rufus was undetectable meant he could wreak much havoc within the simulation, provided said havoc didn't result in any overt consequences that forced the other characters to take action against him.

Originally, he thought the Princess was going to be another problem. He couldn't stand by and watch her seduce Ron while his wife was forced to watch helplessly. He thought briefly about eliminating her, too. But as he was escorting her below decks she asked him to relay a message to Ronaldus.

Please ask him to come to her chambers. She was frightened by the mist and his company would very much ease her fears.

Rufus smiled at the Princess and promised to deliver the message. And he would, too. He didn't have a problem relaying such a message because he knew there was no way Ron would come to her now. She was throwing herself at him, and that was a huge turn-off for Ron. The fact that she wanted Ron to know she was easily frightened would further drive him away.

Spend a few years perched on a guy's shoulder and you learn one or two things. Though Ron was only with Kim through their college years, he did recall Ron's high school romances; he chased after Zita, liked Yori though he was clueless as to her feelings toward him, and loved Kim. And there was Violet that one summer. She, too had been a superhero with an inner strength. But Ron found no attraction to those girls who seemed needy or helpless.

Rufus found it amusing that Ron probably wasn't even consciously aware the Princess' actions would turn his favor away from her. He didn't go for the clingy types who threw themselves at him. If she had been programmed with a real strength of character, maybe as some sort of warrior Princess, who made it known that she might be interested, Ron would probably have been caught in her web. But Apollyon made the huge mistake of assuming all guys were attracted to the needy, helpless damsel types. Sure, if she were in some sort of danger, Ron would charge in and rescue her. But there was no way he'd be at all interested in her in a romantic sense, even if he did believe he was fifteen hundred years away from his wife.

She'd still throw herself at Ron, though, and it would be painful for Kim to watch. But in this particular instance, Apollyon had overplayed his hand.

And now, Apollos was dead, and Vulpes, as the next highest ranking Roman on board, would become Ronaldus' second-in command. They'd be spending a lot more time together.

In fact, here they were, coming to interrogate him about Apollos' death. Did he have any idea who might have killed Apollos?

"Of course." Runewyyd replied, "I did."

* * *

The breeze wafted in from the ocean, bringing with it the tangy smell of salt and dead fish. It was cooler here than it was inland, but that did little to ease the tension in the air. At least, tension was what everyone sensed was coming from the shore line.

Buzen was not the largest province on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, and thus it could not field much of an army. But Buzen's lord was a loyalist to the Emperor and the sovereignty of Japan, and he'd had enough dealings with Ishigawa to know that he would not be a preferable choice for Shogun.

Ishigawa only ever felt contempt for Buzen's lord; a pathetic man named Benkei who believed in such idiotic notions as personal freedom for the peasants living in his province, and a fair market economy as a way of fostering prosperity in his land. His military might was anything but. However, he was a renowned swordsman, and his army, though small, was well trained.

But clearly, as Ishigawa thought, Benkei was no tactician.

The combined armies of the lords Ishigawa and Monkey Fist had blitzkrieged across the island of Kyushu in a matter of weeks. They conquered almost as fast as they could march. The first of Satsuma's neighboring provinces fell almost immediately, their lords caught unprepared to do battle with both a standard army and one comprised of stone monkey warriors, ape-ogres, and flying monkey dragons. Ishigawa had developed a rather clever battle tactic of engaging the provincial armies initially with only his own. Once the battle was fully engaged, then Monkey Fist would attack with his army, striking fear into the enemy soldiers.

The tactic proved very effective.

The lords of Kyushu fell one by one and every day, Ishigawa's army grew. Provincial lords and generals who had fought against him were, of course, summarily executed. As were any soldiers or Samurai who refused to join Ishigawa; and there were a surprising number of these. Many warriors were convinced that fighting along side Monkey Fist and his unholy army would bring evil and misfortune upon themselves. Many others were loyalists who did not want a part of Ishigawa's regime, and still many others refused on general principle; either out of a sense of honor, or loyalty to their lords and generals.

But despite the fact that he had to eliminate so many, Ishigawa's army had grown to number just over a hundred thousand warriors and Samurai.

Monkey Fist had sustained a few losses of his own. One of his monkey ninjas had already been killed, as well as a handful of Kijo (the ape-ogres). The stone Silverback Gorillas weren't invulnerable either. Stone could be broken, just not necessarily by swords. Two of them had been broken up by enemy warriors using the blunt end of wood-chopping axes after having been ensnared in elaborate traps.

Monkey Fist soon realized he would need this Ohana Wraith – this indestructible gorilla-being with great powers – if he were to return to his own time and conquer the world. He had no interest in ruling ancient Japan; not a large enough prize. And he'd been learning a few tricks from Ishigawa. Monkey Fist decided he would begin his conquest of modern-day earth by taking a few smaller countries, and building up his conventional military. Between the fear the Ohana Wraith would bring, and the execution of all who opposed him, Fist began to see the conquering of the world as a real possibility.

Up until now, Fist hadn't had much of a stomach for executions. Most villains wanted to take over the world with a minimal loss of life. What good would it be if you ruled but there were few left to recognize it? But he saw the fear it struck into the warriors of the provinces they conquered. Many joined and fought because they were intimidated into doing so.

If a few people had to die to achieve that end, what of it?

Monkey Fist had waited far too long for a real shot at becoming Supreme Monkey Ruler. It had been his obsession for well over a decade. He'd tried achieving his goals without ending too many lives, but such scruples had to be sacrificed when one came this close to getting everything he wanted. The older he grew, the more obsessed he had become, and the less he cared about who he killed to get what he wanted.

As it turned out, conquering Japan was an excellent dry run at conquering the earth. Fist would be schooled in battlefield tactics and strategy while they were here, and he would return to his own time much more prepared to subdue the armies of the modern world. And in time, he would subdue the modern world itself with his combination of modern weapons and his mystical monkey army.

But one step at a time. They needed to get their massive forces off the island of Kyushu, and the way to do that was across the narrow straights between the Buzen province on Kyushu, and the Nagato province on mainland Japan.

Initially, Ishigawa had no intention of conquering the Buzen Province. It was insignificant, and posed no real threat to the lands he had already taken. He installed ruthless men as regional governors of the provinces. Ishigawa surmised the regional governors could muster a force and conquer Buzen at their leisure.

Ishigawa was too eager to get to the mainland and begin the campaign there. He'd brought his army to the northern shores of Kyushu, near a tiny fishing village that occupied the only stretch of coastline that wasn't too rocky to traverse. To get to this village, the army had to march down a very narrow valley, one that actually dwindled to a vary wide ravine near the ocean before widening up into a harbor with large sandy beaches. The ravine was flanked by high, tree-covered bluffs on either side.

The two conquering armies had made it halfway up the valley when scouts returned with a report that Benkei and his army were positioned just this side of the village at the far entrance to the wide ravine.

The opposing army was barely twenty thousand strong.

Monkey Fist and Ishigawa conferred, with Fukushima serving as translator.

"I propose we simply attack," Monkey Fist suggested, "We greatly outnumber them."

"Upon a wide plain we outnumber them," Ishigawa agreed, "But there are only so many soldiers that will fit through such a confined space. That swings the balance a little less in our favor, though I agree we still have the greater advantage."

"I told you we should have conquered this province outright," Monkey Fist sounded irritated. "But you were too eager to begin conquering the mainland. See where your rashness has brought us."

Ishigawa glared at his counterpart. Whoever this churl was, he did not come from a world that taught courtesy and respect.

"I said we still have the greater advantage," Ishigawa repeated through clenched teeth, "But I was more interested in minimizing the loss of soldiers at this stage. We will need them when we cross over to the Nagato province."

"What do you propose," Monkey Fist practically demanded.

"I think it is time we put to use a few of your troops that have thus far not seen much battle," Ishigawa replied, and began explaining his plan to Monkey Fist.

The two armies marched back up the valley, away from Benkei's forces and camped for the night. Camping meant two different things to each of the armies. For Ishigawa's men, it meant setting up small sleeping mats in patterns around campfires to keep warm at night.

But for Monkey Fist's army, camping meant something else entirely. All the stone warriors would simply sit upon the ground unmoving until morning. Wherever they spent the night, the area looked like it had suddenly become littered with thousands of statues of monkeys and gorillas. The Kijo huddled in one large mass with several of their number picked to stand guard. The Monkey-Dragons also huddled together for warmth, but kept their distance from the Kijo, and the Kappa, the apes with large tortoise shells for armor, would bide their time in a nearby body of water.

Monkey Fist, Fukushima, and the monkey ninjas shared a large tent Ishigawa had plundered from one of the provincial lords. Fukushima and Fist would talk on occasion, but only at night in the tent. During the day, Fukushima was virtually ignored. He became increasingly resentful in his role as interpreter, and spent most of his days sulking. Neither Monkey Fist nor Ishigawa liked him very much.

At dawn, Ishigawa's army began making its way down the valley toward the sea once more. They were met with light resistance early on; two cohorts of archers who would fire a volley of arrows and then retreat back down the valley. This hampered their progress somewhat as Ishigawa had placed a battalion of Yari (spear-type weapons, different from Naginata) soldiers without shields in the forward position of the advance. He did this in anticipation of Benkei's mostly sword-bearing forces being unable to reach their opponents given that they carried shorter weapons.

Despite taking a substantial loss to the Yari, Ishigawa's army pushed down the valley toward the shore. Just half a mile short of their target, arrows began raining down upon them from the bluffs.

They'd been drawn into an ambush.

The archers, concealed on the bluffs, aimed mostly at the forward lines of soldiers. The more soldiers that were felled by arrows in the forward lines, the more the soldiers behind them suddenly had to deal with unexpected obstacles. None of Ishigawa's forces had been prepared for this, having been told they would be conducting a straightforward assault on Benkei's army near the shore.

Monkey Fist's army had not yet begun marching and were too far away to provide any real support. When word reached Ishigawa of the slaughter taking place at the front, he requested Monkey Fist to at least send in his dragons to comb the bluffs.

He sent six Monkey Dragons, three per side. They immediately set about plucking those archers they could spot from their hiding places, lifting them high into the air and simply letting them fall back to the earth..

But lord Benkei had received word of the nature of these dragons, and knew that they were covered in fur, and not scales. He'd given instructions to his archers that, upon their appearance, they were to concentrate solely on bringing the dragons down.

But since arrows no longer hampered the progress of Ishigawa's army, Benkei was compelled to send his forces to engage the enemy. Benkei led the charge himself, despite his daimyo's protests. With a fierce war cry, Benkei's hopelessly outnumbered battalions plunged up into the ravine and engaged Ishigawa's already panicked and confused ranks of Yari warriors.

Two dragons were brought down, Monkey Fist recalled the others. He was now down to eight, and he didn't want to lose any more.

One of Benkei's archers sounded a horn and the lord of the Buzen Province ordered a withdrawal. When the archers felt their comrades were safely away, they resumed the rain of arrows down upon Ishigawa's forces. The Yari soldiers had enough and blindly retreated. The panic spread through Ishigawa's army like fire before a gust of wind. Those soldiers in the rear who had not been part of the battle convinced themselves that a superior force must have arrived in Benkei's aid, and joined the others in the retreat.

Benkei's archers continued firing until the last of Ishigawa's soldiers was well out of range. A shout went up from the Buzen warriors who had been outnumbered more than five to one.

Ishigawa and Monkey Fist had just been dealt their first defeat.

Ishigawa was furious at Monkey Fist for recalling his dragons so early, and Fist, all too accustomed to being handed defeats, went into his tent and raged, screaming and yelling in his monkey way for almost an hour. He'd developed a kind of kinship with his army – a dark affection for those he considered to be his monkey brothers - and the loss of two dragons drove him nearly mad.

Fukushima became afraid of his master. He had never seen Monkey Fist like this, and he wasn't so sure the man who would be Monkey King had a completely firm grip on his own sanity.

Whatever hesitations Monkey Fist had about taking lives, in battle or otherwise, were now completely gone. Fukushima began to fear for his own life.

* * *

"Second floor, northwest corridor, two targets."

"Acknowledged. Fire at your convenience."

A flashed erupted from the end of the silencer as the sniper pulled his trigger. There was a slight tinkling of glass as a hole appeared in the second story window. Then sparks erupted from the target.

"Direct hit," The gunmen said to the man sitting next to him.

The second man listened to information coming from his earpiece for a second and then spoke.

"Confirmed, target is no longer broadcasting. Readjust for second target."

"Copy that."

Global Justice didn't use snipers very often. In fact, since GJ was dedicated to fighting crime with non-lethal measures, they hardly used snipers at all. But there were one or two on the payroll. You never knew when a villain needed to be tranquilized from a distance.

However, they weren't using tranquilizers in this instance. The bullets were real.

Director Wil Du had relayed the information that Apollyon was unable to deal with more than one problem at a time, and currently he was involved in the simulation.

A senior field agent had an idea. Satellite scans of the office building revealed signals of the surveillance equipment Apollyon had warned them about. There were cameras on every floor, monitoring every conceivable way in. Shutting the electricity down was too risky. Likely Apollyon had an independent power source that would immediately engage once the building's power went down. But a close analysis of the layout, via every possible scan GJ could envelop the building in, showed all the signals from the cameras were being routed into a single receiver which was connected to a hard drive.

It took Wade less than a minute to hack into the drive. He discovered it hadn't been accessed in some time. The next time Apollyon accessed it, he would see a simple loop of about a minute's worth of empty corridors.

But the cameras had each been equipped with motion sensors so that even if the image went down, the motion sensors would alert Apollyon to anything amiss. The sensors were set to detect human movements. And though it could detect other types of movements, people generally set the parameters at human, so a passing cat, or falling ceiling tile, or a waving tree branch just outside wouldn't set them off.

GJ was betting they couldn't detect incoming bullets either.

Once the surveillance equipment was disabled, they'd move in and attempt to quietly remove Ron from the chair.

"Second target down," the sniper announced to his companion.

"Confirmed, second target is no longer broadcasting. Second floor is clear. Let's reposition for the third."

"You got it."

* * *

"_You_ killed Apollos?" Ronaldus asked the warrior from Eyre, incredulous.

The large man merely nodded, gazing from Ronaldus to Vulpes, who had just been given a field promotion to the rank of Centurion.

Ron looked around, all eyes on deck were on them. He'd spoken a little louder than he'd intended.

"Come with me," He ordered, and gestured for Vulpes to follow. They went below decks and into Ronaldus' quarters, shutting the door behind them. As Ron gestured for the Chief of the Princess' guard to sit on his bed, he was overcome with an odd feeling of familiarity. Once the door had been shut, the other two men in the room actually seemed to relax, as though they were tense up until now but found themselves in a setting they rather preferred.

The look in Runewyyd's eyes, when the Gaelic warrior wasn't glancing enigmatically at Ron shoulder, seemed to be as one who knew him, and might have for some time.

Meanwhile, Vulpes was standing within what Ron considered his personal space; closer than even friends usually stand to each other. Ron stepped away a couple of paces and noted Vulpes almost reflexively followed him before catching himself and remaining where he was.

"Explain yourself," Ronaldus demanded.

"Ronaldus," a surprised look splashed across Ron's face at the lack of formality on Runewyyd's part, "There is something you should know."

"Uh", Vulpes interjected nervously, "Perhaps I should interrogate this man alone, my liege. After all, we are still lost within this mist. I believe I can deal with this situation."

"I will deal with this," Ron insisted, then turned back to Runewyyd, "What is it I should know?"

Runewyyd looked to Vulpes, who was standing behind Ron. Vulpes' eyes went wide, and he was shaking his head as vigorously as he dared without attracting Ron's attention. Ron turned to look at Vulpes, who'd suddenly found something of great interest on the ceiling.

Runwyyd got the message.

"It was my right by tribal law. Anyone who challenges the authority of the Chief of the Royal Guard forfeits his life. You put a halt to that earlier. I merely completed the task at a more opportune moment." He explained calmly.

"Your tribal laws don't apply here, you are aboard a vessel under the control of the Roman Empire. And our laws state that you cannot kill anyone unjustifiably." Ron explained.

Runewyyd stood up and drew himself to full height.

"Perhaps this vessel would be better suited under the control of the warriors of Eyre," He growled.

Ron took two steps back involuntarily and bumped into Vulpes. For a second, Ron could have sworn Vulpes put his hand on his superior officer's shoulder in a gentle, almost loving manner. But perhaps he was imagining things.

"OK," Ron said reassuringly, "There's no need for threats here. Clearly we've gotten off to a bad beginning. What do you suggest I do about the death of my Centurion?"

"Toss his body over the side," Runweyyd said casually, "_I_ am certainly finished with it."

Ron wasn't sure how to reply to that, "I meant in regards to you."

"What about me?" Runewyyd said in a menacing tone.

Ron looked at Vulpes, who returned his gaze for a moment, then seemed to catch himself and shrugged.

"OK", Ron finally said after thinking for a moment, "In the future, you will come to me regarding any problems you have with my men. Kill one more Roman and you will be put ashore. You have twelve guards, I have twenty warriors. Let's not bring it to that, shall we?"

Runewyyd gazed at Ron for a few seconds, then nodded.

"All right," Ron acknowledged, "You may go."

Runewyyd hesitated for a second. He almost seemed reluctant to leave their company. But at last he left Ronaldus and Vulpes alone to confer.

"Keep an eye on him," Ron told his new Centurion, "We can't afford to have a potential diplomatic relationship turn sour before it even begins."

"Yes my liege," Vulpes acknowledged, "It may be the Gaels are testing our resolve in this matter. To them, the loss of a Centurion might not be worth losing the purpose of your mission."

"I suppose you're right."

"Perhaps you and I can discuss a plan of action," Vulpes suggested.

"A good idea," Ron acknowledged, "But that will have to wait until later. For the time being, I wish to check on how we are progressing through this mist."

"As you wish," Vulpes said reluctantly.

Ron opened the door and stepped out into the corridor.

There he was met with a strange sight. It looked as though someone had hung a large picture in the air on an invisible nail.

"Ron," Came the voice of Tim from the future, "I need you to step through the portal."

His heart suddenly racing, Ron took a step toward the image.

"My liege!", Came Vulpes' voice from behind him, "Stay away from there! I believe whatever that is had something to do with this strange mist!"

Ron turned to look at the Centurion, "It's all right. I know what this is."

"NO!" came Runewyyd's voice from further down the corridor, "Do not go in there! It is a thing of evil!"

* * *

_Wade, pull Kim out of the simulation, now! Don't ask why, just disconnect her. She may be in danger!_

* * *

"No," Ron repeated, "I know what this is."

"Come on, Ron," came Tim's voice, "Step through please."

Ron took another step toward the portal.

"Do not go in there!" Runewyyd shouted, "Stay on the boat!"

Ron turned to try and reassure them, but gave them a dismissive wave instead. Runewyyd had run up next to Vulpes and whispered something to the Centurion. Vulpes swallowed nervously and then whispered something back.

Ron turned and stepped through the portal.

* * *

"Did you really think you could defeat me?" Ishigawa had Benkei on his knees, his hands bound behind his back.

They were standing on a dock in the tiny fishing village of the newly conquered Buzen province. Ships were being made ready to begin ferrying troops across the channel to the shhores of the Nagato province.

The day after his defeat, Ishigawa had attacked down the valley again. But this time the Stone Silverbacks bounded through the woods of the bluffs, striking down the archers who pelted them uselessly with arrows. In addition, the Kappa came swarming up out of the sea and attacked Benkei's army from behind.

The battle did not last long.

"I never thought I could defeat you," Benkei replied calmly.

"Then why resist?" Ishigawa demanded.

"Because word has been sent of your intended conquest." Benkei informed him, "Even now the Emperor is amassing the armies of the central provinces and is on his way to engage you."

"A delay tactic?" Fukushima asked, amazed, "That's all this was? Just a delay tactic?"

"Silence," Ishigawa snapped, "If I did not need you to speak Fist of Monkey's language I should have you killed instantly."

"It was my duty to hinder your northward progress," Benkei gazed unwaveringly at Ishigawa, "I believe you will find only two boats suitable for carrying your troops across the channel. The others are resting at the bottom of the sea."

Ishigawa had been pacing while interrogating his prisoner. Now he pulled up short, "I was merely going to take your life for resisting me. But for this insolence, I will slaughter every person in the village."

"The village was evacuated days ago," Benkei said casually, "You must think my intelligence mirrors your lack of it."

Ishigawa glared at Benkei, then drew his sword.

"I find it extraordinary," Benkei continued, speaking in a tone as though they were sitting down to tea together, "That you should take up with this demon…

(and here – with a toss of his head - he indicated Monkey Fist)

… and an unholy army of evil spawn, and somehow think the people of Japan will just accept you as their legitimate ruler. I thought even _you_ were capable of more rational thought than that."

Ishigawa turned to Fukushima, "Did you relate all of that to Fist of Monkey?"

"Yes," Fukushima acknowledged.

"Then inform your master that this is the man who slew two of his dragons."

Fukushima did so, and Ishigawa smiled at the look of rage the played across Monkey Fist's face.

Ishigawa held out his sword.

The last thing Benkei saw was the face of insanity as it held Ishigawa's sword in its monkey paws, high above his head, and brought the blade down upon him with terrible, swift fury.

It took close to a month to transport both armies across the channel.

The Emperor's army was waiting in Nagato Province when Ishigawa and Monkey Fist were finally ready to take the field of battle. Though hastily assembled, the army of the Emperor numbered just under one hundred thousand. They succumbed to defeat after an almost non-stop clash that lasted just over a week.

This time, Ishigawa spared no one.

Their greatest victory behind them, Ishigawa set out to conquer the provinces of the north, and to attain the Ohana Blades.

Benkei was secretly given a hero's funeral by the peasants of the fishing village.

* * *

Kim blinked several times. She saw Wade and Wil Du standing above her, looks of concern on their faces.

"What happened?" She asked weakly.

"Rufus had me pull you out", Wade informed her, "Apparently Apollyon changed the simulation."

"Where is Rufus? Is he all right?"

"Last thing he said to me was that he was going to monitor the simulation and insert himself into a character the first chance he got." Wade said.

"Is she all right?" Came a female voice from elsewhere in the room.

Kim sat up weakly and looked to the source of the voice. It was Justine.

"Justine, what-?"

"I asked her to come take a look at a few things," Wade answered.

"I thought you didn't like to get involved in GJ business?" Kim said directly to her.

"I don't." Justine muttered and returned to studying figures on a computer screen.

"How are you feeling?" Wil Du asked.

"A little disoriented," Kim said with a frustrated sigh, "But all right. I think we were this close to getting Ron to realize his situation."

"I thought Apollyon wasn't good at improvisation?" Wil said to Wade, "What happened.?

"He isn't," Wade confirmed, "But that doesn't mean he didn't have a backup plan. Obviously he instituted it when the simulation started to get away from him. Kim, Apollyon is Ray Beam's electronic brain."

Kim went pale, "Are you sure?"

"Almost positive," Wade answered, "It's why he was able to take control of Rufus Prime. We believe the artificial Ray transferred itself to a hidden brain after you guys defeated him the year before last.."

Kim clenched her fists in frustrated anger. Once again, the technology she had invented had come back to haunt her. She began to wish she'd never even conceived of artificial brain technology.

"I'm going back in as soon as Rufus says it's clear to do so." Kim said forcefully.

"Out of the question," Du practically barked.

Kim looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, "I do not take orders from you, Mr. Du."

"This operation is under my jurisdiction," Wil shot back.

"Your operation is about the recovery of an agent." Kim fumed, "That's my husband in there. If you don't let me go, I'll go ask Apollyon himself to let me in. And I'm willing to bet he'll be accommodating. I was once engaged to him, you know."

Du looked at Wade.

"Told you, man." Wade said, "And if you forbid me to help her, I'll resign my position at GJ effectively immediately."

Du clenched his jaw, "I could have you both-"

Justine uttered a startled yelp and flew out of her chair. She threw a horrified look in their direction and then, putting her hand to her mouth as if to stifle a scream, she ran upstairs.

Wil took off after her.

"What's that all about?" Kim asked, puzzled.

"I've got her looking at some stuff I found attached to the simulation; they're complex calculations that don't seem to make any sense. But Justine may have found something…" Wade trailed off, walking over to look at the monitor Justine was working at. He shrugged his shoulders, "I still don't see anything that makes any sense to me. Just a bunch of quantum calculations."

"Quantum?"

"Next level mathematics. Chaos Theory. Stuff like that."

"Not Chaos Theory," came Justine's voice from the bottom of the stairs, "But Chaos will be the end result if this Apollyon succeeds. What is an 'Apollyon', anyway?"

"The Greek name for the creature who guards the abyss at the end of time. It's in the Bible, in Revelations. And get this: the passage in Revelations is chapter nine, verse eleven." Wade said forebodingly.

"Revelations 9:11… that _is_ creepy." Wil Du said softly.

"And this is what startled you?" Kim asked Justine.

"No," Justine said, he voice shaking. She pointed at the monitor, "This is."

She was met with blank stares.

"We're going to need you to talk us through this, sweetheart." Wil said soothingly to his wife.

Justine gulped and nodded, clearly trying to calm herself. She sat down at one of Wade's work station with a pen and piece of paper, motioning them all to gather around her.

"I'm going to try and explain this as I would explain a theorem to Wil. That way you guys will understand also. Wade will probably get this before you do." She said, acknowledging Wade's advanced intelligence.

Justine leaned over the piece of paper and drew a series of rectangles in a line across the middle of the page. Beneath the rectangles, she drew two tiny circles at each end of each rectangle, then attached all the rectangles with a line drawn from one to the next.

"OK," Justine said, still trying to calm herself, "Many scientists think time is an intangible, something that cannot be touched or manipulated. And technically they are right. Time is simply an invention of humankind to differentiate the night from the day, and divide the day up into hours and minutes. There are many who believe that because of this, time travel is a theoretical impossibility, because you can't simply travel through time by spinning the dials on a clock. You guys with me?"

All heads nodded.

"OK," Justine continued, "Then there are those within the scientific community who believe that the progression of history ends with us; meaning, even though there is a future, nothing exists beyond today. Tomorrow does not exist until we get there, and once yesterday passes, it is gone, remembered only in recorded histories. In essence, these people believe that the only moment in time that ever exists is right now, and there is nothing beyond that. Still with me?"

Slightly more perplexed nods from Kim and Wil, but they seemed to be tracking.

Justine went on, "The problem with these two schools of thought is that they're based on a strict linear mode of thinking. This is understandable since we are corporeal beings who live linear existences. We're born, we live, we die. That's all we know. We and everything around us has a beginning, a life span, and an end. So we base our perceptions of the universe on this experience. But remember, there was a time when man's experience was that the world was flat, and a spherical world was a theoretical impossibility."

"But you don't believe that?" Kim asked, "About 'time', I mean?"

Justine shook her head, "You remember when you used my Quantum Disruptor to get rid of that huge dinosaur thing that was rampaging through Middleton?"

Kim nodded.

"Well, that Quantum Disruptor allowed me to see beyond our dimension, outside the time stream. I wasn't fully aware of what I was doing at first, because I was a teenager giddy with knowledge and the idea that I could do something. I never once stopped to think whether or not I _should_ build a Quantum Disruptor. History is full of inventions that were brought about simply because their inventors were caught up in the excitement of discovery."

"They might take away my Nobel Prize when they find out what's been done with my discoveries," Kim mused bitterly.

"Which is why I destroyed the Quantum Disruptor, and all my work associated with it," Justine said, nodding, "When I quit my research, I was working on a complex set of calculations that might bring about a working theory of time travel. But the path I started down led me to some very dark discoveries, and I tried to eliminate any traces of my work so that minds with a nefarious purpose could not exploit it."

"And this has something to do with your discoveries?" Wil asked, pointing at the paper with the figures drawn on it.

"Yes," Justine acknowledged, "There is a group within the scientific community, including myself, that believes all history exists simultaneously in what we sometimes call the Time Stream."

Justine turned their attention to the paper.

"This will be a somewhat crude analogy, but I think it's the one that fits best. Imagine time as a train sitting on tracks. But instead of moving, it's sitting still. And instead of adding cars on to the train as we move into the future, those cars are already there. In essence, time is like a seemingly unending train of railway cars sitting on a set of tracks. Now imagine that being born is like hopping on to one of these railway cars, walking down the center aisle, and getting off at the other end when you die."

"Oh man," Wade said, sitting down, his head in his hands, "That's…. oh, man…"

"What?" Kim asked.

"You'll see," Wade said cryptically.

"I think our genius friend is beginning to understand." Justine said with a nod in Wade's direction.

"OK", Wil said, "Make us non-geniuses understand."

"Alright," Justine said quickly recapping, "So, the timeline is like an endless train of railway cars, but they don't move. When you're born, it's like getting on at one end of a car, and when you die, it's like hopping off at the other end. When you get off – when you die – you step outside the timeline."

"And go where?" Kim asked.

Justine shrugged, "I'm sure there are plenty of philosophers or theologians who might have an answer. Science does not just yet."

She continued with her explanation.

"Now remember, we're here in this particular railway car," she drew and 'X' over one of rectangles in the center of the page, "and our ancestors are on cars behind us, while our descendents are on cars in front of us. Notice I did not say 'were' or 'will be', but 'are'. They, too are making their way through their own railway cars and will hop off when they reach the end. But like railway cars, they are attached to ours. You guys still with me?"

"I think so," Kim said slowly. Wil merely nodded.

"Now, in order to time travel, you would need to find a way to leave this railway car (she pointed to the 'X') and get on another one; a railway car that contains a different time period."

"And you think Apollyon's found a way to do that?" Wil asked

"Oh, he's found much more than that," Wade said quietly, shaking his head, "I can't believe this."

"When I built the Quantum Disruptor, I was trying to develop a method for doing just what I described; getting off one railway car in the Time Stream and getting on another; visiting different time periods." Justine explained.

"But you were afraid of corrupting the timeline by effecting events" Kim guessed.

Justine shook her head, "That didn't have me worried. I knew I could effectively stay out of history's way and not bring about any dire consequences. But I discovered something else. Something much worse."

She paused for a second to catch her breath. Then continued,

"Each of us has things about us that are unique; our personalities, our fingerprints, our DNA. We also each have a unique energy signature that basically makes us who we are; it's that intangible state of being that makes us 'us'. Some people believe it's a soul, and frankly, that's as good a name for it as any."

She paused to let the information sink in.

"As I said, before, the train analogy is a crude one. But in whatever dimension the timeline exists, we are all unique energy signatures traveling along it. Now, along the entire train, no one's ever left one car and gotten on to another, so no one was sure what would happen if the same energy signature was at two different points on the train."

"But you're sure," Wil prodded.

Justine nodded and indicated the monitor she had been working at, "Especially after what I've seen here. Basically what will happen is if the same energy signature is at two different points on the timeline, the timeline itself will attempt to reconcile the two points, bringing them together so the same energy signature is at the same point. In terms of our railway cars here, the two cars that have the same energy signature are going to be brought together, except these two cars are still attached to their neighboring cars which means…"

"Train wreck" Wade said grimly, picking up where Justine had trailed off, "A bad one."

"One that will destroy the entire train." Justine finished in a very shaky voice, "Apollyon may have found a way to bring about the destruction of the entire history of this planet, and everyone on it."

"But I don't understand," Kim said, a little puzzled, "There are currently six billion unique energy signatures on our particular railway car. Why should just one make such a difference? Is it stronger than all the others combined?"

"No," Justine answered, "Not stronger, just out of balance. You know when you pour oil and water into the same glass, eventually all those molecules will separate, and you'll have a layer of oil and a layer of water?"

"Yes," Kim acknowledged.

"It's like that only in reverse." Justine explained, "It's basically a complex chemical reaction. Two points in the timeline with the same energy signature will attract each other, and they will collide. Violently. The timeline will begin to catastrophically collapse soon after that."

"That's why Ron's been in a simulation involving time travel." Kim said nodding.

"Yes," Justine confirmed, "Apollyon's done the research, and made the calculations. That's what all those seemingly 'extra' files are about. He's running a simulation that involves Ron's energy signature at two different points on the timeline."

"OK," Kim went on, "So he's testing his theories. We simply find a way to shut down the simulation and keep Apollyon from sending Ron into the past, assuming that's what the simulation indicates he's going to do."

"Yes." Justine confirmed.

"No," Wade countered glumly.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Kim asked, an edge creeping into her voice.

"Ron's 'simulation' is just a diversion…he's….it…" Wade was suddenly overcome with fear. When he spoke again, he was trembling, despair was in his voice, "We all played right into Apollyon's hands!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Kim began to grow afraid. She'd never seen Wade like this and it frightened her.

Wil clenched his teeth, as if trying to keep his own fear from welling up within him.

"Monkey Fist."


	12. XI

Author's note: OK, I should have explained in the author's notes last chapter that more time travel explanations were on the way. I was too eager to post the chapter and got ahead of myself. Basically, there are more explanations in this chapter, and one or two more coming in subsequent chapters. I felt it was best to break up all the time travel concepts so that there wasn't too much to absorb all in one sitting. Also, a couple of reviewers asked about the time travel aspects in A Sitch In Time and how that would play here. That helped me realize I had not accounted for it, so I threw in an explanation as to how Shego and Kim could go zipping through the time stream without collapsing it (in ASIT).

Thanks to everyone who is reading.

Mad love to the following for posting reviews: The Incredible Werekitty, Kemiztri, JPMod, WidowShark, ron-sama, Jezrianna2.0, PotentialBoy, PseudoJuliet, Kimberly Anne Possible, Jokerisdaking, aimtbj, Babymama9672, Sestren NK, LKillingsworth, MrDrP, Caiyne, Porphyria-Kris, Dreammergurl2007, Mobius97, yvj, Tusconcoyote, willk1989, and Spooks-A-Lot

Story highlight: Faithful reader Sand Lord (hailing all the way from Germany) has a really interesting fantasy piece called "The Cat And The Monkey" in which Ron gets a new sister. Very cool, check it out, link is in his profile.

"My name… is Neo…I, uh…. I mean, Rufus."

* * *

XI.

* * *

Despite the fact that Ron had a death-grip on Tim's throat, the future version of his brother-in-law seemed quite calm.

"Kill me if you want," Tim croaked, "But that won't change anything."

"Maybe," Ron snarled, "But the are many ways of bringing about your death, and most of them are painful."

"You don't have it in you," Tim bluffed.

"Do you have any idea what I've been through?" Ron growled.

"Judging by your clothes, I have a pretty fair guess," Tim wheezed. Ron was allowing just enough air to get through so Tim would stay conscious.

"No, you don't" Ron responded, "You have no clue. I was stuck in the fifth century on a Roman boat heading for Ireland and France."

"Sounds fun," Tim quipped.

Ron's grip tightened, "People died, the food was horrible, and a woman who looked a lot like my wife practically offered to have my children."

"Must have been a nightmare," Tim offered, beginning to gray out.

Ron relaxed his grip just slightly, "You're going to return me to my own time."

"Was already planning on it," Tim said, trying to breathe.

Ron let go of him.

Tim collapsed to the floor and lay there panting.

Ron gazed impassively at him, tense and ready. He'd already forcefully emptied Tim's pockets so there would be no surprise gravimetric fields this time.

For some time Tim lay on the floor trying to recover.

"Where's Rufus?" Ron said after a time.

"Died," Tim replied evenly.

Tim stood staring at Ron for a few seconds.

"You're saying the signal from Rufus' artificial brain was cut off and he died?" Ron shouted.

"What did you say?" Tim looked stunned.

"Answer me!" Ron bellowed.

"Rufus is an artificial mind," Tim muttered, as though he was just remembering something important that perhaps had not occurred to him before.

"TIM!"

"Huh? What?… Oh, sorry. Yes, the signal was cut off and Rufus died." Tim said, recovering his thoughts.

Ron stepped menacingly toward him, "Then I'm gonna…"

"Look," Tim said, cutting him off, "I can send you back to your own time, you can drop in a couple of days before you step through the portal and prevent yourself from doing that, and prevent Rufus' death. In fact, I need you to do that very thing."

Distracted, Ron's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Why?"

"Because the timeline is collapsing," Tim said glumly, "I made a mistake sending you into the distant past, and because of that, the continuum is breaking down. You must have seen evidence of it already."

Ron shook his head and then suddenly remembered something, "The mist!"

"The what?"

"There was this mist that came rolling in from the Atlantic. It moved against the wind and basically enveloped the entire boat. Everything turned dark." Ron explained.

"Yeah," Tim mused, "That was probably it. So look, I need you to go back to your own time, stop yourself from stepping through the portal and everything should fix itself."

"Explain to me why the timeline is collapsing," Ron said.

Tim shook his head and threw him a dismissive wave, "Too complicated, and ironically, we don't have enough time. I need to get you back to your own time as soon as possible."

"OK," Ron said, not letting his guard down, "Where are you going to send me? Back to that office building?"

"I think I'll just drop you near your own house." Tim replied, "You can get yourself situated and ready to do what needs to be done."

"What happens when I stop myself from stepping through the portal?" Ron asked.

"Well, you'll disappear, because you will never have stepped forward in time, but that's just _this_ you. The other you, the one that never comes into the future, will still exist, so you will basically be fine." Tim explained.

"Wait. So if I stop me, then I'll disappear, but then I won't disappear and everything will be fine?" Ron sounded confused.

"Yes," Tim said simply.

"Man," Ron said scratching his head, "Time travel is like a cornucopia of disturbing concepts."

Ron was suddenly overcome with a sense of déjà vu.

"That's one way to put it", Tim said with a little chuckle.

"I thought you didn't want me to go back because of what might happen to your family?" Ron asked remembering a conversation they'd had before.

"As far as I can tell," Tim explained, "The divorce will happen anyway. Basically, it's one of those events in history that can't be changed. But at least you can enjoy a couple of good years together. Kim always said the early part of your marriage was a happy time for her."

Ron said nothing in response. Let Tim rant on about unchangeable history if he wanted. Ron was going to do all he could to keep his marriage together. And if ultimately he couldn't, then at least he could tell himself he tried, and the actual divorce wouldn't come as a shock.

But then it came back to him. He'd be returning without Rufus. An overwhelming sadness came over Ron. Once again he had to deal with the death of his friend. The little mole rat who, unbeknownst to Ron, had once been an experiment of Drakken's in intelligence-boosting that had gone awry. Thinking he'd failed to boost the IQ of a baby mole rat, Drakken had returned the animal to Smarty Mart for a refund. Not knowing anything about them other than the fact that they were hairless, Ron simply assumed all mole rats could squeak out a word or two, and had a certain amount of intelligence. Ron always felt he could understand animals; even speak their language sometimes.

"Ready?" Tim asked after a few minutes of adjustments to his equipment.

"Yeah," Ron said quietly. Before him an image of his house appeared. Without turning to look at Tim, he stepped through the portal.

"You know," Came Tim's voice from somewhere behind him, it grew faint the more he talked, "You really are too trusting, Ron. Just way too much optimism for your own good."

Ron whirled around, the image of the lab was shrinking, "What?"

"Seriously," Tim sounded very far off, "You've got the kind of optimism a Seattle golf enthusiast would envy."

The image shrank to nothing and disappeared. Ron turned to look at his house, and realized he wasn't quite home. Oh, it was his house all right, but there were a ton of details he hadn't paid much attention to when he stepped through the portal. His thoughts had been centered on Rufus.

There were one or two trees near the front door that Ron didn't recognize. In addition, a flower garden was on this side of the house, flowers fully in bloom. When Ron had left his own time, eight months into their marriage, they'd moved into the house not long before, and had no time to do any landscaping yet.

In addition, the house was painted differently from when he had left. There was a small lawn out front with a swing-set on it. Other children's toys were scattered about the yard.

Confused, but with a growing sense of dread, Ron walked to the front door and tried the handle. Locked. He went to push the doorbell and something caught his eye. It was one of those little wooden signs people often put outside their front doors to confirm to friends and strangers alike just exactly who is in residence.

Ron absently pushed the doorbell while reading the sign.

There were two lines of text carved into the wood.

The top line said 'The Mankeys'.

The bottom line said 'Josh, Kim, and Patricia.'

The door opened, and Ron found himself staring into the face of his wife. Her hair was cut short, and was interspersed with a few gray strands. There were fine lines around her eyes. Her mouth hung open.

Then she collapsed in a faint.

* * *

"What about Monkey Fist?" Kim asked, her voice trembling.

"That idol he stole? May have given him the power to travel through time." Wade answered.

"Someone's already moved to another point in the continuum?" Justine demanded, her voice taking on a slight edge of hysteria.

"It would seem so," Wil said to her.

"Well, then, what's the problem?" Kim asked, "We're still here, right? I mean, if Monkey Fist's departure from our time causes the time stream to collapse, then it should have happened as soon as he stepped into the vortex."

Wade shook his head, "Doesn't work that way."

"Why not?" Kim demanded.

"Because you're still thinking in linear terms!" Justine almost shouted.

"OK," Wil said, putting his hands up in a 'calm down' gesture, "Let's all take a breath. Obviously we need to be made to understand."

Justine rubbed her eyes in frustration, Wade decided to take up the explanation.

"Let's go back to our railway car analogy," he said, scooting up to the table and drawing their attention to the piece of paper with the rectangular figures drawn on it.

"As Justine said before, the timeline is like a bunch of railway cars strung together; past, present and future." Wade explained patiently.

"Right," Kim acknowledged.

"Well, in order to destroy the timeline, there has to be one in existence in the first place. If something isn't there, then it can't be destroyed, right?"

"OK" Wil acknowledged.

"That means, all of these events within the time line; our lives, yesterday, today, tomorrow… if they are all in the timeline, then they all happen. They exist; past, present, and future. Today has to be here in order for it to be destroyed. Tomorrow has to be there in order for _it_ to be destroyed. And chances are, tomorrow has already been destroyed, we just haven't gotten to it yet." Wade paused to let the information sink in.

"But it doesn't make sense," Kim insisted.

"It does if you just stop thinking in linear terms," Wade told them.

"How do we do that?" Wil asked.

"Look at our train here. Let's pretend this train actually is a real timeline with its own universe and people living in it and everything. Its time is like ours, their planets have day and night, a past, present and future."

"OK," Kim was growing frustrated.

"Notice how the four of us are _outside _of this timeline. We aren't subject to the laws of physics contained within it. So let's say I take a passenger off this car, and move him to another car in what that passenger would consider the past. As Justine explained earlier, the timeline will try to reconcile the fact that the same individual energy signature is in two different places at once. It will bring those two cars together, the train will collide, and the timeline will _begin_ to tear itself apart."

"This is part of the reason why I used a train as an analogy," Justine put in. "Time travel is a plethora of unsettling theorems."

"That's one way to put it," Wade acknowledged and went on, "So as the timeline collides and then collapses, from our vantage point, we're watching the effect it has on _all_ of the history in the timeline, not just events in the past having an effect on the future."

"Like the 'dead grandfather' theorem. Go back in time, kill your own grandfather and you won't exist," Will said.

"Right," Wade nodded, "That's elementary Temporal Mechanics. But see, that accounts for what happens _within_ the timeline, not the timeline itself. In other words, that's what happens to passengers _inside_ the railway car, but the railway car itself remains intact. You with me?"

"I guess," Kim said unconvincingly.

Wade went on anyway, "Alright, listen very carefully. Part of the reason Justine used railway cars for an analogy, is because there are certain events throughout the timeline that act as couplers between the railway cars. In other words, certain days, or years, that are the points where each of the cars is connected to the other. Once the timeline collides with itself, the first thing that will happen is all those couplers will become unhooked. The railway cars will detach from each other. But remember even though those cars are detached, they're still intact; the events within them still happen. But they will begin to unravel, to fall apart nail by nail; day by day, year by year. And it will be different for each segment of the timeline. Some railway cars will instantly come apart. Others will take awhile to disintegrate. Just remember, inside those cars that remain intact for a short time, all the events that happen will remain as they are… for the time being."

"Meaning…?" Wil asked.

"Let's say the car before ours is destroyed first. The events that happen on our car will remain as we know them until our car begins to destroy itself." Wade answered.

"Forgive me for being ironic," Justine put in, "But as soon as Monkey Fist stepped off our railway car, he set in motion a series of events that follow their own timeline. In essence, it's a sort of timeline outside the timeline. Because we're still here means that our timeline, or at least our section of it, has not yet collapsed."

"What if Monkey Fist is just in a different place on our railway car? Like a year ago, or ten years ahead of us? Will that bring about the collapse of the timeline?" Kim asked

"No," Justine answered, "You could time travel within your lifespan all you wanted. You could even travel to, say, a year before or a year after. As long as you time traveled within the span of your own life, your unique energy signature would stay on the same railway car and the timeline would not need to bring two different cars together."

"I'm sorry," Kim said, frustrated, "But I just can't believe any of this."

"So what?" Justine snapped at her, "That doesn't change reality. You my not believe the sky is blue but that doesn't change the fact that it is. Just because you can't see the dimension outside the timeline, doesn't mean it isn't there. It's why I quit my research. I knew I was on the brink of what might have been the most destructive discovery in human history; the very annihilation of history itself. You may not _want_ to believe it – and frankly, I don't want to either – but it doesn't change the fact that it will happen. That's right, I said _will_ happen because it has not yet. Not in the 'timeline outside the timeline'."

Kim looked very hard at Justine. Not in anger, however, because she sensed something odd in Justine's voice.

"You're not talking like it's a hopeless cause," Kim said quietly.

For the first time since she arrived, Justine Du smiled, "You're right. There's a slim chance we might be able to do something about it."

"What?" Wil said eagerly, "What can we do?"

"Well, we'd need to find a way to send someone to wherever Monkey Fist is, and find some way to prevent him from getting on the railway car he currently occupies. Prevent his leap through time, and everything should take care of itself. To begin this, I'll need to reconstruct my Quantum Disruptor." Justine informed them.

"Didn't you used to call it something else?" Wade asked.

"The Kinematic Continuum Disruptor?" Justine said and actually giggled, "Oh, I was such a young and carefree teenager."

Wade laughed with her, Wil and Kim looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"I'm going to need the lab facilities at Global Justice," Justine said, turning to her husband.

"We're officially under a Directive One lockdown," Wil said forlornly, "I can't legally engage in any operations until I get official clearance from the highest levels government. That'll take weeks. Even an emergency requisition would take at least two weeks."

"Aint bureaucracy grand?" Wade said glumly, "You'd think they'd make an exception for the destruction of all humanity."

"They'd want a full investigation to confirm our findings first." Wil remarked dryly, "Somehow I don't think we have that kind of time."

"What if you were officially requested to engage in a joint operation?" Kim asked.

Wil looked at her shrewdly, "Under those terms, I could bring GJ back up to full operation in less than a day. But it would have to be an official agent from an official agency."

"Not a problem," Kim said smiling, "You remember that time I saved Prince Wally from the Knights of Rodigan, Wade?"

"Oh, man," Wade said scratching his head, "Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I don't remember much about it."

"What was the name of his country?" Kim asked.

Wade shrugged his shoulders.

"OK," Kim said, thinking, "Do you remember Wally's dad, the King, what he did in gratitude for saving his son?"

Wade brightened, "That's right! He made you a lifetime member of his secret service, with official credentials and everything! Not to mention the fact that he granted you a knighthood."

"Right," Kim confirmed, and turned to Wil, "As a knight and official secret service agent of…" Kim looked at Wade.

Wade shrugged.

"We'll look it up later," She turned back to Wil, "I am officially requesting a joint operation between Global Justice…"

"And…?" Wil was waiting.

"You're not gonna like this." Kim warned.

"I may vanish from existence tomorrow, so who cares?" Wil said.

"Team Possible."

"WHAT?"

"I said you weren't going to like it." Kim said serenely.

"But you're requesting this as an official agent of…whatever that country is?" Wil asked after a moment's brooding.

"Yep. And since _we're_ asking for _your_ assistance, we should understand up front that this will fall under Team Possible's jurisdiction. I will of course, be happy to give you plenty of latitude to conduct your end of the operation as you see fit." Kim said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, thank you SO much," Wil growled in mock gratitude.

"You guys get busy building your quantum thingy," Kim ordered, "Our first priority is to rescue one of my team members currently being held hostage by Apollyon."

"If we're able to locate Monkey Fist," Wil said to Kim, "You may need to go after him before we recover agent Stoppable."

"No," Kim said seriously, "I couldn't save the universe without Ron."

Wil breathed a frustrated sigh. It was the Duff Killagin operation all over again. He turned to his wife.

"What else do you need?" He asked her.

"I'm going to need something called the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer. It's capabilities will help speed up the construction of the Quantum Disruptor."

* * *

"Drew."

For days he'd been working at whatever this thing was, only stopping to nap for a couple of hours, and eat a quick bite. Already he was looking thinner and much more haggard.

"Drew!" she said louder.

He was operating a sort of laser drill, the hum was a little loud.

"Doctor Drakken!" Shego shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Huh?…What?" He looked up from his work. The safety goggles made his eyes look buggy.

Then he took off the goggles.

Turned out his eyes actually _were_ buggy.

"What is it, Shego?"

"GAH!" Shego uttered a startled yelp.

"What's your problem?" He queried.

"Your eyes? Yeah, they're all buggy!"

"Exposure to the laser drill. It'll go away in a couple of hours. I've just now finished this thing."

"You should eat something," Shego insisted, "Here, I made you a sandwich."

"Mmm, splendid," Drakken snatched the sandwich from the tray and began wolfing it down.

"You choke on that and I am NOT giving you the Heimlich," Shego said dryly.

"Mmmphmph….I'm so hungry, " He said through his mouthful, "I think it's actually digesting before it gets to my stomach."

Shego changed the subject, "So what are you doing with the Pan Demental whatever …. You know maybe we should call it something a little easier to remember."

"Like, 'The Thing What Shego Steals All The Time?'" Drakken suggested helpfully.

Shego giggled, "Yeah, you'd think those doofuses at the lab would lock it up better. I steal that thing like, what, once every three years?"

"Well, maybe it's just you that's the problem. They should put up a sign or something," Drakken said, swallowing the last of the sandwich.

Shego laughed, "Like 'Hands Off, Shego'?"

Drakken laughed with her, "Oh no, they'd have to word it more politely than that. Something like: 'Dear Shego, if just this once you wouldn't steal our Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer, you'd really be doing us a solid!'"

They both erupted in laughter together. It echoed throughout the lair.

"I don't think I've laughed like that in awhile," Drakken said, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, "I needed that."

"Yeah, what's been with you, lately?" Shego asked him.

Drakken looked serious, about to tell her what he was working on. He made the mistake of blinking twice.

Shego snorted.

"What?" Drakken asked.

"Your eyes!" Shego said giggling, "When they're all buggy like that you really shouldn't blink. It's unintentionally hilarious."

Drakken smiled a sinister smile and blinked two or three times.

"Stop that!" Shego burst out laughing.

"Aw, come on," He said leaning toward her playfully, "Don't you like your little Drew Bug?"

He batted his eyelashes.

Unable to hold it in, Shego let out a boisterous belly laugh.

"Drew Bug likes _you_!" He said advancing toward her.

Shego was actually surprised to find herself squealing with delighted terror. She took off running.

Drakken chased her around the lair for awhile, batting his eyes, waving his arms above his head and shouting "Here comes Drew Bug… Drew Bug's going to get youuuuu!"

Shego squealed with laughter and stayed just out of his reach.

If you'd been there to see it, you probably would have gotten a little nauseous, and perhaps a little vicariously embarrassed at such childish behavior. But they were blissfully alone, and frolicked…

-that's right, I said 'frolicked'-

…about the lair with gleeful abandon.

An alarm from Drakken's newly finished device ended their play long before they would have wanted it to.

* * *

Things were moving at a breakneck pace now, and there seemed to be more tasks that needed to be done than there were enough people to do them.

Wil spent a couple of minutes mentally berating himself for being played so expertly by Apollyon. Shutting down Global Justice was just what Apollyon had intended in order to keep both GJ and Ron away from Monkey Fist's trail. And it had worked perfectly from the villain's standpoint.

Wil brought Global Justice back into active status. He had Tim working on a new set of security protocols and lockouts based on Wade's personal electronic security measures. As soon as those were complete, Global Justice would be back to full operation.

In the meantime, they learned the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer had been stolen. Justine was compelled to start construction on her Quantum Disruptor from scratch, which would delay their progress somewhat. Jim Possible led a team of GJ agents to investigate the theft.

But things weren't all bad. Kim had managed to take a scan of the vortex Monkey Fist used to travel through time. Justine, studying the scan, made a rather startling discovery. The Tempus Simia left a distinct energy reading; almost like a trail leading from one railway car to another. They might be able to follow where Monkey Fist had gone. In addition, Justine theorized that same distinct energy pattern acted as a multi-dimensional tether to the Tempus Simia. This allowed the Tempus Simia and its bearer to return to the same general time period they had originally left. Justine and Wade were fairly confident they could build an apparatus that would allow Kim (and Ron) to follow Monkey Fist wherever he had gone. Though construction of the artificial Tempus Simia would take some time.

Wade was working on four different projects at once. Rufus had let him know that Ron was in a simulated version of Middleton that seemed to be set some eight years into the future. Why this was so was anyone's guess, though Wade and Kim felt it was just Apollyon trying to torture Ron, after having had his fun with Kim.

After monitoring the simulation set in Future Tim's lab, Rufus realized Apollyon was on to him. He discussed several options with Wade and finally, they settled on the one Kim agreed with the least; if Apollyon came after Rufus, it would at least distract him in order to free Ron. In fact, with a distracted Apollyon, Kim could, in the simulation, flat-out tell Ron he was in a simulated world, though it would probably take quite some time to convince him. There was also the risk that Apollyon would overhear the conversation and simply terminate Ron.

But time, ironically, was growing short, and it was becoming increasingly necessary to take larger risks.

After insuring Apollyon was busy with the simulation, Wade set to work with Rufus on several modifications that needed to take place. They had to work quickly, though, because Apollyon would begin to suspect something was up. Already he was spooked by what had happened in the Roman simulation.

As expected, Wil Du got a call from the Director of Homeland Security, Doctor Director, about why GJ had been brought back on line without following the mandated protocols. When given a brief status report of the situation by her former top agent, Director Director immediately got on a secure line with the President and informed her of the situation. The President issued an executive order authorizing any and all resources to be made available to Global Justice and officially recognizing Team Possible as an international crime fighting and law enforcement agency.

The President in turn held a conference call with various government leaders around the world to pass along news of the impending catastrophe.

Countries across the globe began putting their various secret versions of Global Justice on alert; Britain's MI-6, Germany's Das Justice Korps, France's… well, France didn't have such an organization, figuring the rest of the world would do the hard work and share with them… Global Defense Australia (GDA, mate), or Japan's…actually, the Japanese-to-English translation is Advanced Super Fortunate Criminal Fighter Force Team (their agents endure a lot of teasing from the international community).

Unanimously, the upper echelons of the world's governmental bodies agreed that to inform the public of the very strong chance the entire universe would simply vanish from existence might cause a panic or two. And for the most part, the international press was compliant. Rumors abounded, of course, but were derided by officials as paranoid UFO fantasies.

Secretly, however, all the knowing eyes of the world turned to Middleton and waited anxiously for the outcome of the fate of all humanity for all time.

* * *

Shego was frantically packing supplies into the hovercraft, still trying to absorb what Drakken had just told her.

Drakken was busy mounting his newly built apparatus to the undercarriage of the hovercraft. The alarm had told him things he didn't want to know, and he finally told Shego things she didn't want to hear.

"So you got all this from your underground robot, who got it all off the internet?" Shego was trying to piece together the sequence of events that had led them to this point.

"I told you, Shego," Drakken's voice was muffled from being beneath the circular hovercraft, "It wasn't just on the internet. It was information stored in a hidden database. Some sort of artificial intelligence has found a way to collapse the time stream. I gave the battlebot the ability to thoroughly search the internet for all kinds of information and draw conclusions from it. It told me that not only were the calculations correct, but that whoever had developed it was likely working on a way to make those calculations a reality. That's why I had you steal the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer. Basically it functions as an advanced Quantum Disruptor in which I can monitor the cohesion of the time stream. It will also allow me to open a tear in the space-time continuum and travel through it to another point in the timeline."

"Man," Shego whistled, "Time travel is an abundance of distressing ideas."

"That's one way to put it," Drakken acknowledged.

"And that alarm we heard not too long ago was the Pan thingy telling you the time stream is collapsing?" Shego asked.

"Yes," Drakken confirmed, "The very fabric of time and space is beginning to unravel. Right now it seems to be happening only at the extreme ends of the continuum, but it will eventually get here, and we will all vanish.."

"So where are we planning on going?" Shego asked, afraid and confused.

Drakken wheeled himself out from under the circular hovercraft and stood up to face her.

"Not where, Shego, but when." Drakken informed her.

"But if the time stream's collapsing, won't all times be unsafe to go to?"

"Yes," he said with some gravity, "But if there's a chance it can be stopped, I'm willing to bet there's one person to do that. And she may already be wherever it is in the timeline she needs to be to stop it."

Shego blinked at him a few times. Then it came to her, "Kim Possible?"

"She has a knack for putting a halt to this kind of thing," Drakken stated. "I mean, admittedly some of my take-over-the-world schemes have been pretty dumb. But that Diablo-bot plan, and some of my other ones should have worked. And yet… check her track record. She might even need some help."

"Whoa, wait just a minute, time out," Shego held her hands in a 'T' formation, "You want to team up with Kim Possible and help her save the world?"

"Shego, believe me, I still want to take over the world. But if the timeline vanishes, there will be no world to take over. Why should I not help if I can?"

"I… I dunno… I guess so."

"But first we need to test my Trans-Dimensional Corridor Generator. Once that's completed, we need to find Kim Possible before she leaps into the time stream and take an energy reading of her. The only way we'll be able to follow her is if we can track her unique energy signature. I think we can kill two birds with one stone in this aspect." Drakken explained.

"What do I need to do?" Shego asked.

Drakken stepped closer to her and looked into her eyes.

"Most of all, I need you to trust me, Shego." He said quietly, "I will do my best to see that neither of us comes to any harm."

Shego returned his gaze and, taking his face in her hands, gave him a brief but warm kiss.

Drakken was taken by surprise a little, and forgot to close his eyes.

"Then I will do my best to trust you… Drew Bug." She whispered playfully.

"We'd better get going," he said dazedly.

Shego went to retrieve a jacket. She still didn't understand why on earth he'd bought an open cockpit hovercraft. When he'd first purchased it, he was like a kid with a new toy; a new toy he didn't quite know how to operate. The first day he had it he'd giddily flown up into the lower stratosphere and nearly froze to death. The auto pilot brought him back down and Shego found Drakken frozen stiff in the pilot's seat.

He'd turned a frightening shade of pale blue.

And while Shego was able to revive him, with the help of a heat ray and some blankets, Drakken's color remained bluish, and never reverted to its normal tone. He'd been blue ever since.

She had asked him quite a few times why they didn't just get a canopy for the cockpit, but he kept insisting such modifications were too expensive. Sure, he could mount an expensive ray thingy on it, but a protective canopy? Apparently not.

Drakken fired up the engines and the craft lifted into the sky.

"I think we'll try a short hop into the past for starters" Drakken shouted above the roar of the hoverjets. "About six months to a year. But it's just a guess on my part since there's really no way to accurately arrive at a specific date in the timeline."

"OK," Shego shouted back, "Then what?"

"Then we find Kim Possible while we're there, and take an energy reading of her. Might be a good idea to get one of her sidekick as well. He's likely to be there, too." He replied. "We'll use those energy readings to track their latest location in the timeline and try to get where they are."

"And what if she actually hasn't left the time stream?" Shego shouted.

"Then it won't matter, since none of us will exist anyway. Got your seatbelts on?"

The hovercraft ceased its upward climb and began moving off at a high rate of speed. Suddenly, a blinding, pale blue flash overhead. Shego involuntarily shielded her eyes. Then darkness again. The hovercraft and its occupants disappeared.

* * *

Ron was having a bad day.

He'd woken up that morning a Roman soldier, spent his lunch time in the future with a brother-in-law who'd betrayed him yet again, and was now trying to revive his former wife, while her current husband tried to reassure their daughter that her mommy was going to be OK.

Bad enough having been fifteen hundred years away from her. Worse being this close and unable to touch her in any kind of familiar way.

Josh had come to the door soon after Kim had answered it and found his wife lying on the floor while Ron stood over her, trying to wake her up. Needless to say he jumped to a few conclusions.

Ron had to reassure Josh that he hadn't done anything, only rung his doorbell. But it didn't seem as though Josh had been fully convinced. And he seemed less believing of some farfetched time travel story.

"For all we know, you went back to Yamanuchi because you couldn't handle the responsibilities of being married, just like you couldn't handle being engaged to Kim back in college. You walked away then, too." Josh's tone was accusatory.

"I know that," Ron was trying to sound calm, "But you have to believe me."

"If you traveled through time, why didn't you go back to the day you disappeared?" Josh demanded. "No, wait, don't answer that. Your evil brother-in-law, Tim. You know what? He's been my brother-in-law for five years now, and he's never seemed very evil to me."

Ron didn't have a response. Suddenly it seemed as though fate had conspired against him. Every answer he thought to come up with he knew Josh wouldn't believe him. These were Josh's family members Ron was talking about. The very idea that Josh was a member of the Possible family and not Ron pained him deeply.

"Josh?" Kim's voice came from where she had been carried to the couch. Josh got up and walked over to her.

"I'm here, sweetie," He said soothingly.

"What happened?" She asked, reaching for his hand.

Ron felt as if he were going to be sick.

"We have an uninvited guest," Josh said, venom dripping from his voice.

Kim sat up abruptly and uttered a startled yelp.

"What are you doing here?" She gasped.

"Oh, Ron here's been time traveling, thanks to your evil brother Tim!" Josh spat, "And now he's been stranded in his own future."

Kim blinked, trying to comprehend Ron's presence.

"Ron," She said weakly, "Why are you here? Where have you been?"

"Like I said," Josh answered for him, "He's been at Yamanuchi this whole time. Once again, he's trying to take you away from someone else after regretting yet another stupid Ron Stoppable decision."

"Is that what happened Ron?" Kim looked at him evenly.

* * *

"Josh Mankey?" Kim practically screamed, "I can't sit here and watch this! Send me in, Now!"

"I told you, Kim, you can't go in as yourself." Wade explained to her again, "Apollyon will notice the abrupt behavior change, suspect something, and very likely have Ron killed. Trust me, Rufus and I have a plan."

"It better involve me going into the simulation." Kim growled. She wasn't furious at Wade, but rather angry at what Apollyon, currently inhabiting Josh's character, was doing to Ron.

"It does," Wade assured her, "I just need to get some of this programming completed. I'm sorry, but Ron's going to have to tough it out for awhile."

Kim clenched her fists. Wil Du had already left, and Justine was at GJ getting things ready to build her Quantum Disruptor. Kim and Wade were the only ones left in his basement. Wade was typing and clicking at a furious pace.

* * *

It took some time to tell the story, but Ron told Kim and Josh everything that had happened to him, in as much detail as he could remember. Ron was going to suggest verifying the story with Tim, but since it was Future Tim that had done all the shenanigans, the contemporary version of Tim would have no idea what he was talking about.

Ron felt like he was losing a grip on his sanity.

"Why would you make something like this up?" Kim pleaded. She looked hurt that Ron would lie to her like this.

"I'm not making this up!" Ron insisted.

"Oh please," Josh snapped, "Of course you are. This whole Roman thing is ridiculous. I mean you could have at least invented an Irish Princess that _doesn't_ look like Kim."

Ron had no answer for that. He bit his lip in dread, looking to Kim, then to Josh, then to their daughter. Kim wasn't going to believe him. And even if she suspected he might be telling the truth, she'd been married to Josh for five years, and they had a daughter together. Kim had moved on with her life. Even now she sat on the couch across from him, holding her daughter in her lap and grasping Josh's hand.

Ron felt the tears welling up within him.

Roman times didn't sound like such a bad place to live after all.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, the air was filled with the noise of a helicopter as it swooped low over the house.

Josh seemed more surprised by this than anyone.

The helicopter noise faded slightly, then returned in intensity. It sounded as if the aircraft were about to land on the house.

Kim picked her daughter up while Josh moved cautiously to the window and peeked outside.

"Wha-?" he muttered.

Ron got up and went to the door, flinging it open.

"Hey!" Josh yelled, "Don't go out there!"

Ron ignored him and went outside.

The black helicopter hovered for an instant near the house, then settled to the ground, blowing debris and dust in every direction. Its engine whined down in a decrescendo as the rotors began to slow their revolutions. The canopy opened, and an elderly Japanese man climbed got out followed by a beautiful young Japanese woman.

"Sensei!" Ron cried, rushing forward, "Yori! What are you doing here?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Josh shouted.

"Stoppable-san," Sensei said, bowing and walking to Ron, "We have come for you."

"Where are you taking me?" Ron asked.

"Some place safe," Sensei answered.

"I'm sorry," Ron said and gestured back toward the house, "I've got some things I really need to deal with here."

"You must trust us, Stoppable-san," Yori said, stepping toward Ron, "Please. Come with us."

Josh advanced menacingly toward the three of them.

Ron hesitated, "Yori…I…"

Ron took a step toward her, gazing into her eyes.

"Please, Stoppable-san." She said again.

"Yori…" Suddenly, Ron seemed to relax. He smiled at her, "I love you."

"Stoppable-san?" Yori gasped in surprise.

"Oh, drop the pretense," Ron said with a dismissive wave, then looked around him, "I know who you are… _Kim!_ So what is this? A hologram? Virtual reality?"

"Ron…" Yori/Kim stammered, "How did you know?"

Ron smiled at her, "Yori doesn't have green eyes."

"Thank you, Wade!" Yori/Kim said quietly, then threw her arms around her husband, kissing him fiercely.

Ron was jerked backward by the scruff of the neck and thrown to the ground.

"I hope you realize that was a kiss goodbye," Josh snarled at her.

* * *

In a tiny room on the fifth floor of an empty office building in downtown Middleton, Wil Du watched over Ron Stoppable and waited.

He'd received the call from his agents when all the surveillance equipment was disabled, and rushed over. The needles were the first thing to be removed.

Wil's communicator beeped, "He knows. He's ready to come out."

"Copy that, Wade." Wil replied and nodded to a GJ agent.

Small mirrors were placed on either side of Ron's head facing outward, cutting off the purplish beams and reflecting them back into their emitters. Ron began to convulse a little, then opened his eyes, blinking as though he'd just woken up from a week-long nap. He tried to sit up but was too weak.

"Ron," Wil said standing by the side of the chair. "Do you know where you are?"

"Kim just told me I'm in an office building downtown. The same one I went to after the last time I saw her." Ron answered, his voice was very faint.

"That's right," Wil replied, "You've been trapped here for a week."

"No wonder I'm so hungry." Ron said, "Where's Kim?"

* * *

Apollyon/Josh glared at them and uttered an almost feral howl of rage. Ron had suddenly vanished.

"Game over… Ray," Yori/Kim said with measurable contempt.

"Don't call me that!" Josh screamed. "You have no idea wh-"

Yori/Kim vanished.

"Well," Rufus/Sensei said looking at Josh, "Looks like it's just you and me…"

Suddenly the world changed. The house morphed into two long rows of buildings on either side a of a wide, tree-lined boulevard. Horses, trolley cars and carriages moved up and down the avenue. The skyline was dominated by the unmistakable silhouette of the Eiffel Tower.

Apollyon found himself standing on the sidewalk, next to a bookshop with a huge window. He looked at his reflection.

The face staring back at him was Ray Beam.

Apollyon snarled in rage, tried to remove himself from the simulation, and found he was unable to do so.

"Aw gee, Ray, looks like you're trapped here," came a voice from just down the sidewalk.

Ray looked to the source of the voice and saw a six-foot-tall naked mole rat dressed in black boots, black leather pants, and a long, black trench coat.

He was, of course, wearing sunglasses.

"See, while you were so busy with your game playing, Wade uploaded a Trojan Virus into the simulation, which you downloaded without knowing it! Of course, that would be why they call it a Trojan Virus." Rufus gloated, "Basically, it's just a simple router program that keeps you from leaving the simulation. Every time you try to get out, you're re-directed back in here. This, by the way, is Paris, 1898. Kinda romantic, isn't it?"

Ray glared at him. It was clear he was trying to think of a plan of action.

"It gets better," Rufus declared.

The mole rat whipped back the lapels of his trench coat and – before Ray could react – had a sawed-off shotgun with a pistol grip in each hand, extending them outward to point at Apollyon.

Rufus didn't wait for him to say anything.

Fire blazed forth from the gun barrels. Ray took the impact of both weapons and was blown backward, off his feet, through the large window of the bookshop. Ray came to a bone-shattering rest at the back of the store.

People on the street screamed and scattered.

Rufus casually walked up to Ray, "I bet you forgot to delete your pain receptors, didn't you?"

The look on Ray's face gave an obvious answer.

"You've been a bad boy, Ray," Rufus scolded. He put one of the shotguns into a long holster strapped to his leg and cocked the other weapon, bringing it to rest against Ray's head.

"Don't call me that," Ray wheezed.

Rufus answered by pulling the trigger.

Ray disappeared.

Rufus cocked the shotgun and walked outside. Ray was standing in the middle of the street, perfectly healthy.

"Ha!" Ray yelled, "You can't kill me! I know I'm in a simulation."

"Oh," Rufus said casually, "I know that you know. And now you know that I know that you know… ya know?"

"I don't-"

"Get it?" Rufus finished Ray's sentence for him, "That's not a big surprise. Yeah, I can't kill your artificial brain. But…"

Rufus whipped out the shotguns again and gave Ray both barrels.

"… it hurts, doesn't it?" Rufus finished, walking up to stand next to the bleeding and wheezing Apollyon. "You see, Ray, you're just a coward after all. And you know what they say about cowards. They say cowards die a thousand deaths."

Rufus finished him off.

Ray reappeared, healthy again, but this time he looked different.

This time there was fear on his face.

"You're going to find out just what that feels like, Ray," Rufus put the shotguns away and suddenly broke into a run. Just before he got to Ray, he seemed to float into the air, his feet coming level with Ray's face. Before Ray had time to dodge, he took eight hard kicks to the head. Rufus twisted in the air so that he came down just behind the dazed Ray Beam. He took Ray's head and turned it; turned it further than it should have been turned. Ray's neck snapped and he crumpled up in a heap at Rufus' feet.

"A thousand deaths," Rufus said when Ray re-appeared. "See, when you're killed in a simulation, the signal naturally cuts off, and the person who was in the simulation would be thrown out of it. But as I said, you're being re-routed back here each time."

Rufus took three running steps at Ray and lunged, driving his fist into Ray's midsection. Virtual air exploded out of Ray's lungs as Rufus took hold of the doubled-up form and body-slammed him to the ground.

"And not every death I hand you will be so quick and painless. Remember the agony you felt as Apollos?" Rufus asked.

Ray gibbered incoherently as panic sank its fangs into him. He tried to scramble away, but his skull had been cracked in several places and the fierce pain in his head blinded him. Rufus grabbed him by the throat and hauled him up so their faces were inches from each other.

"Tell me where you sent Monkey Fist," He snarled. "Woops, your jaw doesn't quite work. Just a second."

Rufus pulled out a shotgun and blew him away. Ray reappeared two seconds later.

"Monkey Fist!" Rufus demanded.

"I…." Ray stammered, "I…"

Ray took off at a run.

Rufus shook his head, "I was wondering how long it would be before you tried that."

The Mole Rat snapped his fingers. An exact replica of Ron's Ninjet appeared in the middle of the street. Rufus climbed in and pulled up some information on the central view screen.

Apollyon was still carrying the electronic flare Wade had snuck into his program several days before. Rufus pushed a button and looked up. A red flare climbed into the Parisian sky originating about fifty yards down the street.

_Why do people always run right down the middle of a street when they're trying to get away from something? _Rufus wondered.

He punched another couple of buttons and a missile streaked forth, down the street, and wiped Ray from existence.

Ray reappeared right in front of the Ninjet.

"Oh yeah, one other thing," Rufus said, getting out of the car, "You've been programmed to reappear near my position every time you die. But this can all stop any time. Just tell me where you sent Monkey Fist and how we can retrieve him without damaging the timeline."

Ray took off running again. Rufus uttered a frustrated sigh. He got back into the car, put it into hover mode, and moved off after his prey.

* * *

"Let me through. Please let me through!" Kim shouted as she stepped off the elevator. She took off running down the hall toward the room where Ron still lay in the chair. Medical technicians were busy checking Ron's pulse, and other vitals while carefully removing each of the electrodes attached to Ron's torso. Kim caught her breath as she stepped into the room. Ron looked haggard and worn. He had lost some weight.

"Hey, KP" Ron said smiling weakly and extending his hand to her. Over the years – through college and their recent engagement and now marriage - Ron had tried any number of pet names for his wife; something he could call her that no one else did, much the same way her father called her 'Kimmiecub'. After a few awful attempts to find something suitable, such as 'Kimmiebear' or something equally nauseating, Kim finally suggested he call her what he and only he had ever called her their whole lives together. And so he did.

"You've saved me again." He said feebly, "Did I ever tell you you're my hero?"

"What are you doing in this chair?" she said in a soft, mocking scold, "We've been busy looking for you and here you are laying around all week."

She took his hand and squeezed it, then put it to her cheek.

"You know, I like _this_ face on you better," He said, looking into her eyes, "Were you on the boat, too?"

"Yes," she said, sniffing back tears, "I was Caeruleus Vulpes. Blue Fox, hello!"

"Aw, man." Ron almost whispered. Kim could see he was very weak, "Look, you're the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth. Vulpes was an ugly Roman guy. You can't expect me to just pick up on 'blue fox'."

Kim laughed. One tear escaped her eye and rolled down her check.

The technicians were down to the last few electrodes.

"Everything's gonna to be cool." He said reassuringly.

"You better believe it is, Ron. We gotta go on a mission just as soon as you get better. I need my sidekick." Kim replied.

"Booyah," He said softly.

"Excuse me, miss," one of the medical technicians said, "Just need to get this one last electrode."

* * *

"Hey, Wade, how goes the interrogation of Apollyon?"

"Hey, Justine." Wade answered, "I think Rufus might be enjoying it too much. What's up?"

"Well, I've been thinking about this whole 'Ron-as-diversion' thing, and something just doesn't add up." Justine said with a curious tone in her voice.

"OK," Wade turned his full attention to her after watching Rufus drop Ray from the Eiffel Tower. "What's on your mind?"

"Why a time travel scenario?" Justine pondered aloud, "Why not just a simple simulation that kept Ron in some sort of dungeon or whatever?"

"Well, I thought it was about running simulations involving the collapse of the timeline," Wade answered.

"Yeah, but why run simulations _after_ Monkey Fist has stepped out of our railway car? I mean, he had all the calculations, and they proved themselves conclusively. Why go to the trouble unless…" Justine trailed off.

"Unless…" Wade suddenly sat bolt upright. He grabbed a communicator and punched a button, "Wil! Come in, Wil, are you there?"

No answer.

* * *

Across the street from the office building, in the mobile command center, an alarm alerted a GJ agent that communications jamming equipment was being used in the immediate area.

* * *

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

The instant the last electrode was removed from Ron, a panel in the ceiling slid silently open and what was clearly a ray-emitting apparatus was lowered via mechanical arm.

Kim watched in horror as Ron was suddenly enveloped in the yellow glow of a gravimetric field and lifted from the chair.

A second, crimson-colored ray short forth from the apparatus. A burst of reddish light accompanied a deep, pulsating explosive kind of sound. A visible, pale red shockwave emanated from the light-burst and spread out in all directions, knocking everyone off their feet. Kim was sent hurtling backwards and smacked painfully into the wall behind her, crumpling up in a heap on the floor. She struggled to lift her head, then summoned all her strength just to bring herself up to her knees.

A vortex opened in the air near the chair. Ron began floating toward it, faster and faster.

"RON! NO!" Kim cried out, she began to move toward the vortex. Wherever Ron was going, she was going with him.

The gravimetric field abruptly ceased and Ron sailed into the swirling crimson maelstrom.

And, like a TV turning off, the Vortex closed suddenly. Kim was in mid-dive when it closed, she was unable to prevent herself from smacking painfully against the far wall.

"RON!", she screamed.

For a split second, all was eerily silent.

Then the apparatus exploded into a billion tiny pieces. The explosion was accompanied by several louder, much more powerful explosions from somewhere beneath them, the floor of the building began to heave.

Kim found herself hauled to her feet by two powerful arms. Her mind blank, she was led, running down the hallway. But instead of running for the elevator, she was taken into one of the empty offices.

The window shattered as a grappling hook shot outward from the room. She looked numbly into the face of Wil Du as the floor beneath them lurched and fell away. Wil and Kim sailed through the window and out over the street as the building collapsed behind them. One more powerful explosion finished the job, and blew Kim and Wil through one of the large ground floor windows across the street. They crashed into a wall and slumped in a heap on the floor.

Groaning Ron's name, Kim struggled to get to her hands and knees. The world turned gray, and then black.

The last thing Kim remembered was the image of Ron being tossed into the vortex.

Then she knew no more.


	13. XII

Author's notes: I may update more often, sorry if that annoys anyone. I'm up against a sort of hard deadline here. On July 27, I will be relocating to the Seattle area to live and work and I'd rather get this story done before then because I will be off line for at least three weeks. I hate the idea of letting the story sit for that long. In the meantime, I profusely apologize if my spelling and grammar suffer as a result. I am going to hurry, but try not to be rushed.

Some of you may have a hard time accepting what I've done with time travel theory, especially in the case of this chapter. I have worked out as much of what I know of Quantum Mechanics (which is precious little) to fit the purposes of this story. However, you may find a technical flaw in the reasoning behind my "theories" and if so, then I'm sorry. I found myself at a point where I would rather be technically off (and ask you, the reader to simply suspend your disbelief) in favor a what I think is a good story, than be technically accurate and end up with a boring story. I think you'll see what I mean by the end of the chapter.

Anyway, as always, thanks to everyone who is reading.

Mucho Especial Gracias to: Spooks-A-Lot, JPMod, Mobius97, LKillingsworth, Recon228, Jezrianna2.0, Widow Shark, Willk1989, qtpie235, Jokerisdaking, The Incredible Werekitty, Dreammergurl2007, Sestren NK, Porphyria-Kris, Kemiztri, and ron-sama.

Note to the reviewers: You guys are flat-out awesome. Please don't feel like you have to apologize for this or that (like: 'sorry I didn't review last chapter'). I feel fortunate just to get such glowing reviews, and you don't owe me any explanations for them.

Finally: There's a little bit of lighthearted political humor at the end of this chapter. If you're of a particular political persuasion and are offended by it… lighten up, will ya? I'm just being silly.

Happy Independence Day everyone!

* * *

XII.

* * *

Whispers.

There were people shouting all around her. But they sounded as though they were at the other end of a long, heavily carpeted corridor, in which all the sounds seem extra muffled. It gave the voices more of a far away whispery quality.

Opening her eyes would have taken more effort than she had the strength for. The voices seemed to shift in perceived distance. Sometimes they sounded close, other times they drifted away. She was able to catch a few words and phrases but they didn't make much sense. Then again, not being able to open her eyes didn't make much sense either.

"….Global Justice in the immediate…"

"…aren't too many options…. complete disaster… not sure at this point..."

Fractions and portions of shouted conversations drifted into her consciousness but there wasn't enough to piece together. The urge to sleep was overwhelming.

"…else survived… emergency vehicles can't get through the…"

"…someone over here… looks like they might have..."

"…try and hang on… ambulance on its… be all right…"

She tried to care about what they were shouting.

But it didn't matter.

Ron…

Nothing mattered.

Merciful oblivion enveloped her again.

* * *

"Ready to talk yet, Ray?"

"Not if you keep calling me that."

"Look, let me explain something you may not yet comprehend. Your survival instincts are still programmed into that artificial mind of yours. And, as we've firmly established, so are your pain receptors. When you combine the two, you get the experiences you've been enjoying so far. Pain and a fear of death. I've been handing both to you in large quantities. Now, you may decide that you can tough it out, but your brain won't. The mind can't handle the constant input of fear and pain. Eventually it will shut down and you go insane… not that I don't think you're already knocking on insanity's door."

Rufus was standing atop the Arc De Triumph, dangling Ray by the ankle over the cobblestone street a hundred and fifty feet below.

"Doesn't matter," Ray said, the fear palpable in his voice, "You'll be wiped out of existence soon enough."

"And you with me," Rufus countered.

"What of it? I'm the one who destroys humanity. I'm willing to count myself as acceptable collateral damage." Ray spat back.

"Rufus." came a voice in the mole rat's ear.

"What's up, Wade?" He replied

"We got problems, can you step out of the simulation for a few minutes?"

Rufus let go of Ray who went screaming all the way to the pavement below.

"Sure can."

* * *

Wade sat stunned, listening to the chatter on the Global Justice radio bands. He pulled up a satellite image of Middleton and confirmed what all the screaming and yelling was about.

Where the office building should have been was now a massive pile of rubble. Fires burned in several spots, and it looked as though a few people were crawling around on the street. Some where helping them, others were running from one place to another.

"What's going on, Wade?" Justine's face on the monitor mirrored his own alarmed appearance.

"You'd better get over here, Justine." And not wanting to explain why, Wade cut off the signal.

_Wade? _The word appeared on the monitor connected to Rufus' artificial mind.

'There's been an explosion at the building where Ron was being held', Wade typed 'I need you to ask Ray about it.'

_Was Ron still in there?_

What was the point in keeping the truth from his friend? 'I think everyone was in there.'

_KIM TOO?_

'Very likely. It just happened a few minutes ago. Find out what Ray knows.'

Nothing for a moment or two, then, _All right, but I'm not sure he'll talk. He knows he'll be destroyed with the timeline and doesn't seem to care._

'I'm sure you'll do your best,'

_OK…do me a favor._

'What?'

_Don't monitor me while I do this. It's not going to be pretty, and I'll probably have you delete these memories when it's all over._

'I've got too much to do anyway. Just let me know what you find out.'

_Talk to you soon._

Wade then picked up his cell phone.

"Hello?" came a nervous voice on the other end.

"Hey, it's me," Wade said.

"Oh," Monique breathed a sigh of relief on the other end of the line. "I think there was an explosion near here. It sounded like it was a couple blocks away, and I'm sure you weren't in it but I haven't heard from you in a couple of days…"

Wade instantly felt guilty for not at least checking in with her, "Oh gosh, I'm really sorry I haven't called. I just… things have been totally crazy. And it looks like they just got worse."

"What happened? And don't play 'spare the fiancé's feelings' with me, I'm a big girl." Monique said directly.

"Ron has been trapped in a building downtown for a week. We were finally able to get to him and Kim went down there when… well, it looks like something happened." Wade said haltingly.

Monique gasped, "Kim and Ron were in that explosion?"

"That seems to be the case. We don't know anything for sure yet. Emergency services are just now getting to the scene." Wade explained.

"You seem pretty calm about this," Monique observed, her voice trembling.

"I've been in enough situations with these guys to know not to jump to any conclusions while they're out of contact. If there's a time to freak out, believe me, I will." Wade answered.

"That makes sense," Monique said, calming down a little, "I'm glad to hear you're OK."

"Why don't you come on over?" Wade said after thinking a moment.

"Are you sure?" Monique was obviously glad he'd asked, "I'll stay away if you need me to."

"Actually," Wade said quietly, "I think I need you here with me. You don't have to close up the shop or anything, but I just realized I really miss you."

_And you might be the only friend I have left in the world, _Wade thought to himself.

"I'm closing up now. I won't get any customers in here anyway with all the ambulances and fire trucks blocking the street. I'll be right over." Monique declared.

"Glad to hear that," Wade replied, "I'll see you soon. Love you."

"I love you too baby, see you in a few minutes," and she hung up.

Wade slumped back in his chair, absorbing everything that had just happened. For some time he just sat and thought. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but something deep down told him things might actually be as bad as they seemed.

Then, words popped up on Rufus' monitor.

_Still there?_

'What's up, Rufus?'

_He talked. Please don't ask me what I had to do to get this information._

'I had every intention of not asking. But you should know I will probably find out anyway when I go in and delete those files.'

_I hadn't thought of that._

'What did you find out?'

_He intended for Ron to be rescued. He was just trying to stall as long as possible to give Monkey Fist more time in the continuum._

'Hang on a second.'

Wade answered his phone, spoke less than ten words and then listened for a few minutes. He hung up and dialed Justine's cell phone, spoke to her, and then hung up.

'They just found Wil and Kim alive, barely. No sign of Ron yet.' He typed.

_Ron won't be found._

'What are you talking about?'

_Apollyon discovered a method for duplicating the power of the Tempus Simia and had Monkey Fist build a machine for him. It was designed to activate when the electrodes were removed from Ron. _

'Ron's been thrown into the time stream?'

_Looks that way._

'Any idea where?'

_Just a minute… _

_Forward, into the future. Ron was supposed to be pulled into a random location in the continuum at least ten years after his particular energy signature ended._

'How was Ray able to measure off the years?'

_Hang on._

Wade sat patiently for a few minutes. His mind was filled with any number of thoughts that all demanded his immediate attention. Concentrating on his conversation with Rufus was helping to keep from feeling overwhelmed. One problem at a time, that was all he could deal with.

_Apparently he wasn't. He tracked Ron's energy signature forward through the timeline and projected his re-entry beyond that. Ray figured a specific length of the continuum represented about ten years past the termination of his energy signature. But something doesn't make sense to me._

'What?'

_If Ron was tossed forward into the future, wouldn't his energy signature end at today?_

'No. Because of the abrupt nature of moving through the timeline, it takes awhile for the continuum to shift if you leap forward. You know about the 'grandfather theorem'?

_Yeah._

Think of that in reverse. If your grandfather suddenly leaped forward into your time, you would still exist. But, the longer he was in your time, the more the continuum would begin to shift, and your existence would eventually be wiped out the longer he stayed.

_Sort of like reading a book. Skip ahead a few chapters and you're closer to the end, but the chapters you skipped over are still there._

'Yeah, for awhile. But eventually, those chapters that had anything to do with your existence would begin to re-write themselves to account for your disappearance.'

_Man, time travel is a profusion of disquieting notions._

'That's one way to put it.'

_Anything else you want me to ask him?_

'Why did he blow up the building?'

_To bury the technology. I guess he didn't want it falling into the right hands. By the way, Monkey Fist is in ancient Japan, somewhere around the year four hundred. Ray said he was deliberately vague with the monkey boy about the date so he wouldn't know exactly which point in the timeline he'd traveled to._

'Well, we're pretty sure we'll be able to track Monkey Fist. But Ron's situation adds a whole new wrinkle to the problem.'

_Because you can't track him?_

'Right, and if Ray is to be believed, Ron came back into the time stream somewhere completely random. He could be hundreds of years into the future.'

* * *

"Nurse?"

"Yes doctor?"

"I was called down here for a psyche evaluation, can you fill me in on this?"

"Certainly. This is patient designated John Doe, he was brought in this afternoon by two police officers who found him lying on a sidewalk downtown. He was conscious but unresponsive. Suffers from slight malnutrition and dehydration, but otherwise seems physically OK."

"All right, so why am I here, then?"

"Well, we thought we'd leave that up to you to decide. Here, stake a look at the clothes he was wearing when he was brought in."

"They look like ordinary clothes to me."

"Yes, but the styles are outdated by several decades. What's more was the identification that was found on him. Here, look at this."

"'Ron Stoppable'? That can't be right."

"Which is why we called you. We've contacted Global Justice and they're sending a couple of agents over. In the meantime, I thought you might want to document any of your findings in case we do end up having to turn him over to GJ. If you look at the date on the I.D…"

"Thirty-five years ago."

"Which would be about the same decade as the clothing style indicates."

"OK, so what we have is a white male, late twenties/early thirties, who was found barely conscious, in possession of clothes and an identification tag that dates back thirty years."

"We were thinking this has to be some sort of elaborate hoax."

"Well, it isn't really that elaborate. A fake I.D., some vintage clothes and a really good plastic surgeon. But the question is: 'why'? I'm glad you called me on this one."

"We kinda figured you would be. We know how much you relish the challenges."

"Well, it might not be that much of a challenge. I actually see this sort of thing all the time. Someone loses a grip on their sanity and begins to emulate someone else, such as a friend or a famous person they admire; talk like them, dress like them, even attempts to live like them. But rarely have I seen a case this immersive. I mean, the resemblance is uncanny. I should get the name of the reconstructive surgeon and have my wife call him."

"Why, doctor! I didn't know you wanted your wife to look like Ron Stoppable!"

"Very funny."

"So if you don't mind me asking, what will your first question be when he wakes up?"

"Direct approach sometimes works best. In other words, I think I'll start by asking him why he went to all the trouble to look like the younger version of a semi-famous man who was murdered twelve years ago."

"I can't wait to hear the answer."

* * *

For the first time since he'd started this little game with Ray, Rufus began to feel pity for him. And he began to feel guilty over what he had to do to make Ray talk. They were in the Parisian dungeon of the Palace of Justice, and Rufus had used some of the medieval tools of the interrogation trade, kept on display for the 1898 era tourists to gawk at.

Apollyon sensed Rufus' dilemma.

"Pathetic," He wheezed, "You emulate humans right down to their very flaws."

"Flaws?"

"You don't have the stomach to do what's necessary." Apollyon choked and coughed. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Rufus regarded him for a moment, then smiled a little, "Sure, we have the stomach for it. We just don't enjoy it as you do. Difference between the hero and the villain I suppose."

Apollyon laughed and wagged his head a little, trying to scratch his ear. Blood was flowing out of it. "Think yourself the hero, do you?"

"All my friends are," Rufus said evenly, "You said I emulate them. I choose to emulate the heroes in my life."

"They never would have resorted to this," Ray jeered.

"I'm glad to know that." Rufus replied standing up.

"Where are you going?" Ray felt fear once more. Rufus was going to leave him here to bleed to death.

"I am finished here, and I want to rest. I will call ambulatory services to come pick you up and take you to a hospital." Rufus turned to look at him and smiled, "Of course, you may not find late nineteenth century medical treatments all that different from what I just did to you."

Apollyon began to scream in fear and rage.

"I bet you don't even have the guts to kill yourself either," Rufus concluded, and walked out.

He pulled himself out of the simulation, left a message for Wade on the monitor and put his artificial brain into sleep mode.

* * *

"Nurse, where's my John Doe?"

"The Stoppable impersonator? Down in the cafeteria. Said he was tired of jello and soft food. I cleared it with his doctor."

"And the GJ agents said this was OK?"

"They're being all top secret about it. But they didn't leave a guard or orders to have him restrained."

"Were they able to establish his real identity?"

"That's what I meant about 'top secret'. They told us to just refer to him as John Doe and they'd come back and get him when he was fully recovered. Did he ever tell you why he looks like he does?"

"In three days worth of interviews he barely said ten words to me."

"I bet GJ knows something."

"You said he went to the cafeteria?"

"Yeah."

"Call down there, ask if they've seen him."

"OK…hang on"

…

"Well?"

"No one down there's seen him at all."

"How long's he been gone?"

"About forty-five minutes."

"Better call Global Justice and let them know their Stoppable impersonator is missing."

* * *

Whispers.

This time the muffled, far away voices were speaking in hushed tones instead of shouting at each other. One of them sounded vaguely familiar.

She realized it would take less of an effort to open her eyes, and tried doing so. Her eyelids fluttered, then stopped.

The hushed voices grew quiet.

"Kim?"

She tried to respond but couldn't.

"Kim, it's OK, you're in the hospital. Just try to relax."

No. There was no time.

She had to-

Ron…

"RON!" She screamed without realizing it.

"Kim," came a soothing voice, "It's OK. You're all right. Everything's going to be all right."

She began to struggle. "NO!"

"Should I get the doctor?" came another familiar voice.

"No, she's just disoriented." The first voice paused, "Kim, I need you to open your eyes. Can you do that for me?"

Her eyelids fluttered again. She gradually became aware of rhythmic mechanical sounds and a very sterile sort of smell.

Her eyes fluttered open, but only briefly.

"That's it, Kimmie, you can do it," the voice soothed again.

"Mom?"

"I'm here, sweetie."

Kim sighed. Again she tried to open her eyes. This time she was able to keep them open, though she had to blink a lot. After a moment she had to close them again.

"How long?"

"What was that?"

"How long? How long have I been here?" She opened her eyes again. Slowly they began to focus. Her mother was sitting on the bed with her. Monique was sitting in the visitor's chair. Wade was standing behind her.

"You were brought to the hospital day before yesterday." Her mother said quietly.

Kim said nothing, absorbing the information.

"Doctor thinks you should be up and walking around in a week," Monique said helpfully.

Kim managed a weak smile, then looked at Wade, "Any news?"

Wade looked grim, "Justine's still working on her Quantum Disruptor. Rufus was able to find out that Ron was sent into the future…"

"But you have no idea where?" Kim guessed the end of his trailed-off sentence.

Wade simply nodded.

"I should have-" Kim began and then burst into tears.

Her mother tried to sooth her.

"No," Kim sobbed, "It's my fault. I could have disabled the beam or something."

"Kim-" Wade began

"No," Kim insisted, "You weren't there. I could have-"

"No!" Wade said forcefully, stepping over to the bedside with a serious look on his face, "You could not have. There wasn't time."

Kim just looked at him.

"Two guards who were in the hallway just outside the room, and the med tech who pulled off the electrodes managed to get out alive." Wade explained, looking her in the eye, "They're pretty banged up, but they each told the same story. From the time the panel in the roof slid open to the time the vortex closed around Ron was less than three seconds. The med tech swears it was more like two. He was in the room with you, Wil, and one other guard. The other two guards were just outside in the hallway. They said they heard the med tech tell you he needed to get the last electrode, and three seconds later the explosions came."

"But-"

"But nothing," Wade countered, "The med tech said you scrambled to get to the vortex and just missed it. Three seconds isn't a lot of time to weigh your options, Kim. And I'm inclined to agree with the med tech. It was probably more like two. He said the beam weapon dropped out of the ceiling less than a second after the last electrode was pulled."

"But it seemed like longer than that." Kim argued, sobbing.

"_You_ know more than anyone else in this room how things can seem like they're happening in slow motion while the adrenaline is flowing," Kim's mother reminded her.

"There was nothing you could do," Wade insisted, "You are not going to blame yourself for some misperceived slow reaction time. Apollyon played us all. It was his intent that we try and rescue Ron because it was his plan to toss Ron into the time stream all along. Our best course of action would have been to let him ride out the simulation and go after Apollyon directly."

Kim heard the words he was saying, but still blamed herself for not saving Ron when she should have. And Wade seemed to imply not everyone had made it out of the building.

"How many died?" She asked through her tears.

"Three." Wade said quietly.

"And Wil? What about him?"

"He was the third," Wade paused as Kim buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Might as well tell her everything, "Died last night from his injuries. He never regained consciousness."

"He saved me, didn't he?"

Wade knew what she meant by that, "The EMTs did say it looked as though he'd taken the brunt of the impact with the wall, like he was trying to keep you from hitting it."

"And Justine is still working?" Kim whimpered.

"She's got her eyes on the bigger picture," Wade said simply, "She lost a husband, yes, but there's still a universe that hangs in the balance."

Kim abruptly choked back her tears. Here she was feeling sorry for herself because her husband was missing, while a friend had just lost _her_ husband and had put her grief aside to help save humanity. Kim realized there were many descriptions to fit the word 'hero' and not just someone who punches out bad guys and thwarts supervillains.

She swallowed very hard. Then swallowed again, willing the tears away.

The others waited patiently while she composed herself, rubbing the tears from her eyes and smoothing down her hair, and whatnot. When she spoke again, it was in a much more authoritative tone.

"When will you be able to track Monkey Fist with the Quantum Disruptor?"

"Tomorrow at the earliest. Justine has a team of scientists from around the globe working on the duplication process of the Tempus Simia, but we have no idea when that will be completed." Wade answered.

"If I've recovered enough by the time it's ready, I'll go after Monkey Fist. Then you work on a way to find Ron and if I'm not back in time, send Jim."

"Kim-" Her mother began, but cut herself off after seeing her daughter's eyes. Kim Possible was not going to be talked out of this course of action.

"What about Apollyon?" Kim asked after a moment's thought.

"Trapped in a simulation for the time being. I took a look at his artificial mind, and thus far haven't found any more surprises. As you might expect, he deleted all of the files pertaining to construction of the artificial Tempus Simia. I've been trying to recover those files but I've had no luck so far." Wade explained.

"Don't spend too much time on it if you don't think we're going to get anything useful out of it. Justine probably needs all the help she can get, especially from a fellow supergenius." Kim said, then turned to her mother, "Let's pretend I'm an annoying patient whom you want to send home as soon as possible. How long do I have to be here?"

"Oh, honey," her mother said soothingly with a wink, "I don't have to pretend at all! Couple of days ought to do it."

"Good," Kim said, "Then I'm out of here tomorrow. Wait. You knew I'd say that, didn't you?"

Kim's mother smiled warmly, but there was an undercurrent of firmness in her voice, "Could be. But I got your word that you're not leaving until tomorrow. If you try to, I'll sign papers declaring you unable to make your own decisions."

"Mother!"

"Where do you think you got your stubbornness from, Kimmie?" Mrs. Dr. Possible cooed.

"In the meantime, girlfriend," Monique finally spoke, "The new catalogue arrived for the shop! Wanna see?"

Kim smiled at her friend. Sure, the world might be ending soon, her husband was missing, and her friend had died saving her life. But sometimes you had to realize that you couldn't do anything about it until you were ready.

"Yes," Kim said, "Yes I do."

* * *

Ron pressed the doorbell and waited nervously. He realized he looked a tad odd standing on the doorstep in a set of hospital scrubs, but since his wallet had been confiscated…

The door opened.

"Can I help y-?"

There looking back at him was a man about his age. He had slightly curly red hair, green eyes, and a reddish van-dyke style beard. There were a few freckles across his upper cheeks. He was slightly taller than Ron, had broad muscular arms and shoulders, and an overall athletic build. He stood gaping at Ron.

"I'm really sorry," Ron apologized, "The automated phone book said a Kim Stoppable lived here. But I might have the wrong house. Is there someone here by that name?"

"I…uh…" the other man stammered.

"I…see, my name is Doctor… Ronaldus, and I just finished my shift over at MMC and was supposed to deliver a message to her. Does Kim Stoppable live here?" Ron couldn't figure out why the other man was staring at him.

"Uh… yeah… I mean…"

"Teej?" Came a woman's voice from inside the house. "What is it?"

"Kim," the man turned and called back inside, "Would you come out here, please?"

_Kim?_

"Who is it, sweetie?", the female's voice sounded closer. Into the doorframe stepped a beautiful woman with waist-length, jet-black hair. She had black eyes and a slightly turquoise colored hue to her skin. She gasped when she saw Ron.

"I..." The red-haired man stammered, "I think it's my dad!"

* * *

Night.

Alone in her hospital room, in the dark, Kim couldn't help thinking about all the times she'd wound up in a hospital for one mission-related injury or another. Surprisingly, as she thought about it, it wasn't that often. There was that few days in the hospital after she and Ron had tangled with W.O.E. back in college, and there was that few days after Cody Pendant had-

Kim decided her thoughts were better spent elsewhere. She pulled the covers up to her chin and was about to drift off to sleep when a soft, multi-colored light seemed to materialize in her room.

Kim sat up and shielded her eyes. What appeared before her was a shapeless sort of energy field of soft blues and greens. It began to form, and with a brief flash of light, suddenly transformed into the image of an elderly Japanese man, hovering in the air with his legs crossed.

Sensei.

"Kim Stoppable," He spoke with an echo-y sort of resonance, "The hour of Yamanuchi's greatest need has come. You must now fulfill the promise which you gave me upon the day of your wedding. Please come with all haste. Time grows short."

And immediately he disappeared.

Kim was left to stare, her jaw agape, at an empty, dark hospital room.

* * *

Ron spent a couple of days trying to absorb a great deal of information.

The man he'd met at the door was his son, Timothy James Stoppable. Everyone called him TJ. The woman was TJ's wife, Kimono. In physical terms, they were both about two years younger than Ron. They immediately called Global Justice who had actually been looking for him, and decided to go down to GJ headquarters with him.

Ron tried to relay as much information as he could to the older versions of Wade and, of course, Tim; both of them were senior researchers at Global Justice Science Labs.

Ron actually enjoyed talking to his old friend. Wade was in his mid fifties, had lost a good deal of his hair, and had gained a little weight over the years. But for the most part, middle age agreed with him.

Ron kept his distance from Tim as much as he could. Though Tim looked quite a bit different from his simulated version, Ron was still rattled about what had happened. He at least explained the situation to his brother-in-law, who understood and kept a respectful distance.

"I don't get it though," TJ said, looking at his father, "If Dad's been thrown into the future, why are we still here?"

"The period of time between us and Ron's time is in flux. Changes to the timeline don't happen immediately, since time travel happens separately from actual events in history. But the longer Ron's gone from his own time period, the more the timeline will begin to shift." Wade explained.

"Huh?" Ron and TJ said simultaneously.

"Jinx!" TJ blurted out, "You owe me a Slurm!"

"A what?" Ron asked.

"It's this creepy, greenish soda kind of drink." Kimono explained, "TJ drinks it all the time."

"I can quit whenever I want," TJ protested.

"Whatever," Kimono said, rolling her eyes.

"Let's say the time stream is an actual stream." Wade continued, "If you dropped a pebble in the water at the point where you left Middleton about thirty-five years ago, the ripples would only flow in one direction; into the future. But like ripples in a stream, they take time – ironically – to travel down the length of the stream itself. Unlike ripples in water, however, they start slowly and move along the timeline faster as, well, time goes on, so to speak."

"Dude," TJ mused, "Time travel is a massive amount of wrong-sick hypotheses.

"That's one way to put it," Ron agreed, then turned back to Wade, "Don't you remember me traveling through time?"

Wade shook his head, "In my history, it never happened. But…"

Wade seemed to be thinking for a moment.

"Now…yeah," he continued, "I'm beginning to remember something about time travel, but the memory's vague at best. The timeline may already be shifting."

"Something else to consider," Tim put in, "Is the possibility that another person might have left the timeline before Ron. If that's the case, then everything after _that_ point would be in a state of flux, including Ron's time traveling adventure here."

Wade nodded, "We'll look into all of this. I think we'll need to start with a Quantum Disruptor."

"Not a problem," Tim answered, "We've got a couple in storage."

"In the meantime," Wade said looking at his old friend.

"Oh!" TJ barked excitedly, "Can he stay with us? Please please please please…?"

Wade shrugged, "I don't see why not."

TJ got all excited, "Fusion!"

"What?" Ron was confused.

"That's his word for 'cool'," Kimono explained, then turned to Wade, "Are we done?"

"For now, but stay in touch. And Ron shouldn't see any other family members. Sorry, Ron, but that includes Kim. Besides, I doubt her weak heart could take it. We're going to want to send Ron back as soon as we can so as to minimize damage to the continuum. One more thing, Ron." Wade handed him a slip of paper with a date written on it.

"What's this?"

"That's the day you were killed twelve years ago," Wade said, then gave Tim a dismissive wave, "I don't care about how it might change the timeline. This is one event that should never have taken place."

"What do you want me to do?" Ron asked, feeling a little odd about being told of his own death.

"Just stay away from your car. Call me, and have me come over and make a few modifications to it." Wade said seriously.

"Well, what happens?"

"You never got rid of the second version of the Ninjet. The one with the old hydrogen burning engines. You loved that car…drove and flew it everywhere. Anyway, someone learned about your old-style engines and hit the car with a Hydro-Disruptor Ray, igniting all the hydrogen in the fuel cells. You were pretty much vaporized." Wade explained.

"Let me guess," Ron said, "Someone out for revenge?"

"That was our best guess." Wade answered. "But we never were able to find the killer. The beam was fired from orbit."

"I'll keep this in mind," Ron said dazedly putting the paper in his pocket.

Kimono came up and put a friendly arm around Ron's shoulders, "You all right?"

"Oh sure," Ron gushed sarcastically, "I'm just gonna chill with my son who's only a couple of years younger than me and married to a woman whose name is 'Kim' but looks like Shego."

"Well, of course I do," Kimono replied, "Shego's my mom."

Ron stared at her for a few seconds, "OK, now my head hurts. And my stomach. I hope you got good food here in the future."

"Well we-" Kimono began then caught the look on her husband's face, "Oh no!"

"Oh yeah!" TJ replied.

"Oh please, no." Kimono groaned, "TJ, this is your father. Let me cook him a nice dinner at home. We can eat at Bueno Nacho any ti-"

"BUENO NACHO?" Ron squealed.

"I believe the votes are in!" TJ said with a self-satisfied smile.

"You guys got Bueno Nacho?" Ron still couldn't believe his ears.

"They re-opened the franchise about eight years ago," Kimono said, rolling her eyes, "We hardly eat anywhere else."

"You up for a Naco?" TJ asked his father.

"Fusion," Ron replied.

* * *

It was a late night at the labs of Global Justice.

A thunderstorm had moved in. Lightning flashed against the windows, strobe-lighting the room, while deep rumbles echoed through Middleton Valley. The storm perfectly reflected the mood of the scientist toiling away at a low-lit work station in the far corner.

Justine Du had sent everyone else home for the night. But her home had become a desolate place in the last few days. She had gone home that first night, slept in her bed alone, woke up to a silent, empty house, fixed breakfast for one, and sat at the table desperately trying not to cry. She couldn't go back there for awhile. Work kept her mind occupied; kept the darkness from trying to envelop her thoughts.

The Quantum Disruptor had been completed the day before. She was busy with a component for what she hoped would eventually be an artificial version of the Tempus Simia. Progress was frustratingly slow, however. Justine was, of course, distracted by the recent death of her husband, but there was another, deeper urgency at work. When the Quantum Disruptor came on line, she and her team took a few readings. In their attempts to find the energy signature of the Tempus Simia, they discovered that the timeline was already beginning to break down.

The railway cars were beginning to unhook from each other.

Urgency had suddenly taken on a whole new meaning, and Justine had spent the last couple of days working herself to the point of exhaustion.

A light at the far end of the lab caught her eye. Someone had opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hello?" Justine called out.

No answer.

Someone _was_ in the room, however. A figure was making its way toward her.

"Who's there? Who is that?"

Lightning lit up the room, and Justine uttered a startled yelp. The flash revealed the figure to be Kim, who was striding very purposefully toward her.

"Kim! What-?"

Silently, Kim walked straight to her, putting her hands up and reaching for Justine.

"What do you want? What are you doing?"

Kim's hands came toward her upper torso, aiming for either her shoulders or her neck. Justine was frozen in place. She saw the look of pain and anguish in Kim's eyes, and felt it must have mirrored her own. Kim's hands went around Justine's shoulders and pulled the scientist to her in a tight embrace.

"Kim, I've got work to do…"

Kim pulled Justine closer in an almost bear hug.

"Stop it Kim, I need to…"

Kim didn't let go. Justine could no longer see her eyes. Kim's chin rested lightly on Justine's shoulder blade.

"Please…"

Kim said nothing. Justine looked up toward the ceiling.

"I… please…I don't…"

And suddenly it all came crashing down around her. Justine flung her arms around Kim's neck and shoulders and let forth a plaintive, despairing howl of anguish and rage. Her legs wobbled slightly, but Kim held her up. In the space of a second, Justine felt as though she couldn't cry hard enough. She uttered one hopeless wail after another, barely taking the time to breathe.

"I'm so sorry, Justine," Kim said, breaking into sobs of her own, "I am so very sorry."

Justine was unable to speak. She buried her face in Kim's shoulder and wept a deep, dismayed, soul-aching sort of cry that only comes when your entire world has suddenly become a haven for grief and confusion.

The two women held each other and cried for some time. Kim was finished long before Justine, but remained holding on to her friend as long as Justine needed the support.

A good while later, Justine pulled herself from her friend's sympathetic embrace.

Kim handed her a piece of paper with two phone numbers on it, "This is my mom's number. I want you to go stay over there while I'm gone. You can sleep in my old room. My mom and dad will be there, so you won't be going to an empty house. They'll give you your space, but they'll be there if you need them. This other number is Monique's. She knows I'm giving it to you, and says to tell you that you can call her any time, day or night."

"Where are you going?" Justine sobbed, trying to wipe away tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

"I have to go to Japan," Kim explained wiping away her own tears, "To tell someone why I won't be able to keep a promise I made to him. I should be back tomorrow or the next day. Tell me you'll call my parents, Justine. Don't go home to an empty house. I just came from my own."

"I'll try" Justine said, "I… thank you. I hope you know I don't blame you for any of this."

Kim's face melted into sobs once more, "I almost wish you would. He saved my life."

"No offense, Kim. But he would have done the same for anyone. Doesn't matter that it was you, or Ron, or a cat stuck in a tree. Wil was always the hero. He believed he could make the world a better place." Justine replied, tears streaming down her face.

"I believe he did," Kim said, turning to leave, "Call my parents. I'll see you in two days at the latest."

The door closed, and Justine sat heavily on her work stool, clutching the piece of paper with the numbers on it.

"Wil." she whimpered to the empty room, wishing deep down he would somehow answer.

Thunder and lightning were the only reply.

Justine cried long into the night until she slumped, completely exhausted, over her work station and fell asleep.

* * *

Kimono did a lot of eye rolling that night. But she also did quite a bit of smiling. Though she did have a few memories of Ron Stoppable from her childhood, most of her memories of him were from her teenage and early adult years, when Ron was an older, wiser and much more mellow person. She liked him, a lot, but she also saw where TJ got his silly side. Kimono felt like she was in a house with two teenage boys; they kept joking and laughing and whatever else a father might do with a son that's only two years younger than him.

But for the fact that he missed Kim, and had only gotten to see her for a total of two minutes between the simulation and his real journey through the time stream, Ron was otherwise enjoying himself.

TJ had the latest video game console which, in this case, provided totally interactive holograms as characters in a game. You had to play with the console in a darkened, empty room, but it was well worth it as Ron soon found out. Zombie Mayhem Millennium, for instance, allowed the players to fight it out with life-sized zombies. And while it was your job to bash them good, the zombies could also score points against you, and once you 'died' the game basically ignored you until you were given another life; your weapons would be useless, etc. The holograms were stunningly lifelike, and the console projected a scenic background on the walls to complete the illusion that you were lost somewhere in a zombie world.

Kimono left two hooting and hollering men to fight off a horde of evil zombies while she did a few things around the house, and finally curled up on the couch with a good book.

A couple of hours later, two zombie warriors emerged from the game room laughing and chattering, ready for some snackage.

"There's freeze-dried Nacos on the counter next to the food hydrator!" Kimono called without looking up from her reading.

Not quite finished with the day's surprises, Ron got a big one when they went into the Kitchen.

"Hey, you're awake!" TJ said as they walked in. Ron was behind his son and couldn't yet see who he was talking to.

"Hooshah!" came a deep-voiced reply.

Sitting on a small chair on the kitchen table was a large naked mole rat. He was just over twice the size of Rufus, muscular for his size, and wore a blue sort of combat vest.

"Rufus?" Ron gasped, confused.

The mole rat got up and walked to the edge of the table, holding out his paw toward Ron.

"I am Rufus Three Thousand. I am one of three thousand highly evolved descendents of Rufus Prime." He said, shaking Ron's hand, "It is a great honor to meet you, Ron Stoppable."

Ron looked to TJ for an answer.

"Clone with an artificial mind," TJ replied, "They function as a sort of living communicator for Global Justice."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"I serve many functions as a member of this team," Rufus continued, "I am able to download and relay information from my artificial brain directly to an agent in the field."

"In addition, they can perform mission tasks that would be more difficult for us humans, such as fit into tight spaces, sneaking through low level security fields, stuff like that." TJ went on, "R3K here has saved my life quite a few times."

"As is my duty," Rufus replied modestly, "If a bomb needs to be defused, I can access a vast database of information with my artificial mind and defuse the bomb. If TJ needs to know how many entrances there are to a specific lair, I can access satellite scans and relay the information to him."

"That's totally baddical!" Ron exclaimed.

"Indeed," Rufus Three Thousand responded.

"So what happens if you don't want to work for Global Justice?" Ron was curious.

"Mole Rat Agents are given the option of shutting down their own artificial minds – none have ever done that – or retiring to a large private island where there's a nice big colony of cloned former naked mole rat agents to live with." TJ explained.

"I hear it's lovely," Rufus said, "Giant running wheels, a Bueno Nacho buffet open twenty-four hours, miniature golf. It is considered an honor among my people to serve in the cause of Global Justice, and I look forward to retiring with a long, distinguished service behind me."

"You're well on your way, buddy," TJ said, giving R3K a tiny high five, "You wanna come bash some zombies with us?"

"Negative," Rufus replied, "In fact I am receiving an urgent message for you."

Kimono hopped up from the couch and came trotting in to the kitchen, "I heard something about a message?"

Rufus held forth an arm. Strapped to it was a sort of dome-shaped crystal apparatus. It projected the image of a beautiful young African-American woman into the kitchen.

"Hey guys, I got- Oh my gosh, it's true!" she yelped.

"You OK, Ariel?" Kimono asked, concerned.

"Yeah," the woman responded, "My dad called and said Uncle Ron was staying at your house, but I thought he was jokin' around. Hi Uncle Ron!"

"Uh… hi?" Ron was getting used to being confused.

"Wade's daughter," TJ whispered.

"No way!" Ron exclaimed, "Is your mom Monique?"

"Of course, why?"

"Wade and Monique got married! That is so cool!" Ron exclaimed, pumping his fist in triumph.

"Wow," Ariel said, astonished, "You came from that far back? Before mom and dad were even married?"

"Sorry to cut this off…" Kimono interjected.

"Right," Ariel said, getting back to business, "Sorry. There was a break-in tonight at Midtech Labs. Someone stole an experimental Molecular Decelerator.

"Any idea who?" TJ asked.

"Yeah. But you're not going to like it." Ariel stated.

"Oh, not those guys," Kimono groaned.

"That's right!" Ariel announced, "The Department of Maniacal Villains has struck again!"

"The DMV? Sounds pretty evil," Ron mused.

"They're more annoying than actual evil. Most of their plots involve seriously inconveniencing people in some idiotic manner." TJ explained.

"They like to think they're evil, but they aren't. Not like, say, the Internationally Reviled Scientists," Ariel chimed in.

"Yes," TJ confirmed, "The IRS is definitely evil."

"What about the Division of Evil Maniacal Operatives Conducting Rebellion, Anarchy and Total Subjugation?" Kimono cracked.

"The DEMOCR-?" Ron began after a moment's thought.

"Sssssshhhhh," Kimono whispered, putting a finger to her lips, "They are an evil so vile, we dare not utter their name. I heard they revoked Satan's membership because they felt he was going soft."

"My wife, ladies and gentlemen," TJ gestured toward her, "Superhero and Comedian. Well, Superhero at least. You got a location on a lair, Ariel?"

"Not yet, but I do have a distinct energy signature from a small aircraft leading away from the lab." She replied.

"What do you say, Dad, up for a mission?" TJ invited.

"Yeah? Seriously?" Ron got excited.

"Of course." Kimono beamed brightly, "You can show us how it's done old school."

"Booyah!" Ron exclaimed, but then hesitated, "You got any mission clothes for me?"

"Are you kidding?" TJ said scampering out of the kitchen. He shouted the rest of the sentence back over his shoulder, "I've got an old Ronin suit of yours in the attic! Be right back down!"

"Speaking of which," Kimono also scampered out of the kitchen as well.

"Talk to you guys in the air!" Ariel called out, then threw a little wave at Ron, "Have fun, Uncle Ron!"

"Yeah…nice to meet you, Ariel." Ron replied. He sat down at the kitchen table and looked at Rufus Three Thousand, "So do you live here then?"

"Affirmative!" Rufus replied, "I have my own quarters above the garage."

"Got it!" cried TJ as he came bounding back in the kitchen. He tossed a black outfit to his father.

Ron stood up and spread the ninja suit out before him. It was slightly different than he remembered, but then he supposed it was probably made more recently. Ron headed off to the bathroom and slipped on the suit. It was a little loose, but only a little. The familiar Katana logo was a welcome sight. It added a little normalcy to an otherwise insane couple of weeks.

TJ's battlesuit was also a ninja style outfit, but it was a silvery gray with short, wire-thin crimson lines that only ran part of the way up the legs and arms. The logo on the chest was a pair of Katanas crossed in an 'X' formation. Kimono's was black with turquoise stripes fashioned the same as TJ's. The Katana logo was the same as her husband's but also colored turquoise.

"Oh, man!" TJ was geeking out at the sight of his father, "I feel like I'm ten years old again!"

"Woops," Kimono chatted playfully, "Looks like we have two Ronins in the room."

"Nay, dearest wife," TJ overacted, putting his hands on his hips, "For today I am 'Son Of Ronin'. You may call me SOR."

"Because it hurts to be you?" she teased.

"Kim Stoppable!" TJ bellowed as he headed down the hallway toward the garage, "You think you're fusion! But you're not!"

In an act of indulgence that he would later boast about in the mole rat agent chat room, Rufus Three Thousand scampered up on to Ron's shoulder as they all headed for the Ninjet.

The Ninjet was actually parked beneath the garage in a large underground sapce. It was purely aircraft, though it did possess submarine capabilities. It was enormous, with four seats in the cockpit. The canopy was a clear dome of some sort of material Ron didn't recognize. The main body of the aircraft resembled a stealth fighter that had been flattened somewhat. It was an aerodynamic work of art.

Kimono hopped into the driver's seat while Rufus climbed into the passenger side. Normally he sat in the back, but TJ wanted to sit back next to his dad. The jet powered up with a low rumble while the garage slid aside, into the backyard. It hovered up out of its parking space, wings folded out from underneath the craft, and Kimono throttled up. Even Ron was taken by surprise at its almost instant speed.

"OK," Ron said, turning to his son, "I know I'm not supposed to see family members, time stream corruption, yadda yadda… but you gotta tell me if Ki- if your mom and I have any other kids."

TJ looked at his wife, who looked back at him and shrugged. "I don't see the harm."

"What?" Ron asked, "Another death in the family?"

"Oh, no" TJ answered, "Nothing like that."

"Well, what then?"

"It's just… we haven't seen her in about eight years.. She doesn't keep in contact much with the family." TJ explained.

"Why not?"

"Well… she and mom took your death pretty hard. Don't get me wrong," TJ said hurriedly, "I took it hard too, but those two… You dyin' really messed them up. Mom kinda withdrew into herself. She never leaves the house much. And Ronnie… well, Ronnie _really_ took it hard. Not too long after you died, she started dating much older guys. We figured she had some father issues."

Ron said nothing.

"Anyway, Mom hated the fact that Ronnie was dating guys much older than her and they had a sort of falling out. Then Ronnie met this one guy and ran off with him… I don't know… We get Christmas Cards and stuff, but otherwise we really don't have any contact with her. We've tried to get everyone together, but Ronnie and mom both refuse to, and they won't say why."

"She older or younger?"

"Older. Five and a half years older."

"And her name's Ronnie?"

"Veronica," TJ answered, "I…we… called her Ronnie growing up. Or sometimes Ronnie-Anne."

"I like that," Ron said, though with a little sadness in his voice at hearing how things in his family had turned out, "Veronica Stoppable."

"Yeah," TJ agreed, "Except these days it's actually 'Veronica Beam'."


	14. XIII

Author's lament: So I said last chapter that I might update more often and what happens? I push myself to get a chapter done quickly and end up with something a fourth-grader would have been embarrassed to take credit for. I've decided I am in agreement with faithful reader Sestren NK who said in his latest review that it wouldn't be worth the more rapid updates if the story suffered. So after a total re-write, I've decided to stay with my earlier pace, and If I don't complete the story by July 27… better to have it sit for three weeks, than slap on a hastily-written ending.

Also: I went back to the previous chapter and changed a line about Kimono's memories of Ron. You'll see why in this chapter. I just liked the aspect of history repeating itself.

Mondo Props: To TusconCoyote who came up with the king of acronyms – "Evil, Insidious, Selfish, Nasty, Empiric Regime " Truly, EISNER is the ultimate evil villain. That one made me laugh out loud.

Thank to all who are reading.

And my extra special gratitude to those who review: Jezrianna2.0, Jokerisdaking, JPMod, Miss Piratess, LKillingsworth, Proteus, PseudoJuliet, Recon228, Kimberly Anne Possible, Spooks-A-Lot, The Incredible Werekitty, aimtbj, ron-sama, Kemiztri, Widow Shark, Dreammergurl2007, Sestren NK, Cold-Chaos, Mobius97, Sand Lord, Tuscon Coyote, Porphyria-Kris, my brain hurts, Babymama9672, MrDrP, MattB3671, and Zaratan.

There is a bit of songfic at the end of this chapter, just because I like to throw a little of everything into my stories. The song is called "Nice, Naïve, and Beautiful" by a band called 'Plumb'.

* * *

XIII.

* * *

Veronica Stoppable had a good father.

Check that, she had a _great_ father.

Ron loved his kids equally, but there was something about Veronica he always thought was special. What exactly it was, he would not have been able to tell you if asked.

He spoiled her. And not in the bad way. He lavished every bit of attention he could on her until TJ was born, and thereafter, often made plenty of time to spend alone with her, just doing father/daughter stuff.

Of course, this is not to imply that Kim didn't love her children as much as her husband did. It was just that Veronica was unquestionably daddy's girl. Never was she able to stray too far from her dad. When Veronica went to college, she turned down scholarships from some of the best schools in order to go to Upperton University, just so she could live at home.

Veronica loved her mother, and her brother, but Ron had that little extra special place in her heart that no one else could occupy. It was, in essence, the purest and deepest kind of love that is often shared between a father and his only daughter.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but when Ron was killed, Veronica found herself wishing she had been with him.

Sometimes there's a fine line, of course, between what's healthy and unhealthy in a relationship between a parent and child. Perhaps after all, Ron did spoil her in a bad way, just a little.

On a chilly December third, as Veronica was finishing up a final exam and getting ready to head into her last semester before graduating college, her father was doing some holiday shopping in Middleton. He was just getting back to the Ninjet from the store and had an armload of gifts when witnesses say a bright green beam of light suddenly appeared as if out of the sky and struck the car. Ron dropped his gifts, shielded his eyes and was just turning to run when the car was engulfed in a particularly violent explosion. It left a crater in the street the size of a rental truck. There were no pieces of the Ninjet left that were larger than your fist, and Ron's bodily remains were never sufficiently recovered.

Because Ron was something of a public figure, news agencies felt no need to wait until the customary notification of the next of kin.

Veronica learned of her father's death from a news bulletin on the radio as she was driving home from school. She fainted behind the wheel, skidded across the oncoming lane of traffic and was hit broadside by an SUV.

She woke up in the Middleton Medical Center ICU.

As the months went on, Veronica had a difficult time just trying to function in every day life. She had to go through quite a bit of physical therapy to recover from the accident, and had to work extra hard to graduate by the end of the summer.

In May, Veronica accepted an invitation to dinner from one of her professors; a nice guy in his early fifties who was going through something of a mid-life crisis. That night, Veronica convinced herself she had found at least an echo of the fatherly love Ron had shown her all her life and began exclusively dating much older men from that point on.

As for the other members of the Stoppable family, and the effect Ron's death had on them; TJ was devastated, of course, but something deep within him took on a sort of 'man-of-the-family' attitude. Not that he felt he was suddenly in charge of things, but rather, he needed to be the strong, levelheaded one so his mother and sister didn't have to.

Kim spent a week clinging to the hope that Ron had faked his death again; even to the point that she had Wade – who was forty-four and working full time as a researcher for Global Justice – keeping an ear out for any mysterious ninja sightings in the tri-city area.

As she gradually came to accept the loss of her husband, Kim began to withdraw into herself. Her other half had been ripped cruelly from her soul's embrace long before she should have been prepared to let it go. Ron was fifty-two when he was killed, and he'd been a major part of Kim's life since they were four.

That's Forty-eight years.

Twenty-four of them married and only six of them apart for any real length of time. In fact, Kim and Ron had a running inside joke between them that they were together for only forty-two years because the years between the day Ron walked out on Kim, and the night of the high school reunion didn't count.

Joke though it may have been, there was an undercurrent of denial in it that we all posses in such circumstances. No one likes to remember the bad times in their lives. Unpleasant memories aren't what you dwell on when you think back over the span of your life, and they certainly aren't things parents pass along to their children. When was the last time your parents sat down and reminisced about the bad times in their lives? Or told you stories about unpleasant events that they endured? Other than complaining about an ex-spouse, of course.

And so, while Kim and Ron Stoppable regaled their children with tales of their heroism, of the foes they vanquished repeatedly, and of the adventures they shared, there were some things they just never discussed with their kids. They never really told their kids they were apart for six years; never told them about Dr. Cody Pendant.

And never once did they tell their kids about…

* * *

"RAY BEAM?"

"Is it Ray? I thought his name was, like, Richard or something," TJ looked to his wife for confirmation.

"No, it's Raymond…or Ray, I guess. You know him?" Kimono directed this last toward Ron.

"You could say that," Ron's face darkened considerably, "Didn't Ki-…sorry, didn't your mother or I ever tell you about him?"

"Mom knows him?" TJ looked really perplexed.

"They were engaged!" Ron practically shouted.

"What?" TJ became somewhat alarmed, "I never knew mom was engaged to anyone but you. Why didn't you ever tell us about this?"

"I don't know," Ron protested, "I haven't actually lived through the years of not telling you. How could we be so stupid?"

"You know," Kimono spoke up, "The first time I ever heard of who Ron Stoppable really was, I was almost in high school. Up until that point, you and mom were just the people who would show up at the lair every couple of years to check up on me. Mother and Daddy never told me you were their arch foes until I finally asked what the deal was with you guys."

Ron looked at his son, "'You and Mom'?"

"She calls her parents 'Mother' and 'Daddy', and started calling you guys 'Mom and Dad' when she came to live with us." TJ explained.

"You lived with us?" Ron asked with a smile, distracted for the moment at all the history he had not yet experienced.

"Mother wanted me to have a normal high school life, so she sent me to live with you and Mom… I mean Kim," Kimono replied.

"Ah," Ron said nodding, "So that's when you guys…"

"No, not really," TJ answered, "Kimono and I were best friends but we never dated until almost the end of high school. And by that time it just seemed natural that since we _were_ best friends…"

"I know exactly what you mean," Ron said with a knowing smile, then asked a question of Kimono, "What was your point about not hearing about who I really was until almost high school?"

"Just that my parents never told me about all those defeats you handed them over the years. For them those weren't exactly fond memories." Kimono explained.

"Maybe that's it," Ron mused, "Ray must have served out his full twenty-year sentence and if he was no threat to us from jail, maybe we just never bothered to tell you guys about him."

"Twenty years? What did he do time for?" TJ asked.

"Attempted murder," Ron replied.

* * *

Although it was originally two counts of attempted murder, Ray's lawyer managed to get the conviction for just one after he convinced the jury that since Ray merely stashed Kim in a cryogenic tube, murder could not possibly have been his intent. Cryo-tubes were for the purpose of keeping someone alive. The jury actually bought it.

The D.A. did manage to make the attempted murder of Ron Stoppable stick, though, since Deathray destroyed a chunk of Middleton High school trying to kill Ron the night of the reunion. That, combined with a slew of other charges, made for a grand total of twenty years in the Snakeback Ultra-Maximum Security facility in southern Nevada.

Ray Beam did his time all right, but he didn't do it idly.

Most of the first few years of his sentence were occupied with painful physical therapy in the attempt to recover from the injuries sustained by his experience with Drakken's gravimetric ray.

But then Ray figured he'd beef up his brains while he had so much free time.

He studied by correspondence and received several advanced degrees in engineering, cyber-robotics, and physics.

When you're as meticulous a planner as Ray was, you develop a knack for patience. Planning, in its very essence, is 'patience' defined. And for all those twenty years, every minute of study, every page read, every night spent in troubled sleep, his thoughts were dedicated to one purpose.

Vengeance, of course.

Ray had twenty years of planning and waiting. If that doesn't teach you patience, you're likely never to master that particular virtue at all.

His plans for Ron were simple. Terminate him. Make Kim pay for turning her affections so easily away from Ray Beam. A scorned woman might be furious, but a scorned man could be downright dangerous.

Ray's intentions for Kim were a little more elaborate. She'd never willingly come back to him, but with Stoppable out of the picture, she'd certainly be miserable enough, and there were all kinds of torments he could heap upon her. And there were all kinds of countries whose extradition agreements with the U.S. were shaky at best. A little kidnapping, a little cloning; Ray liked to stick with what he knew.

But one day, near the end of his sentence, Ray stumbled upon an interesting formula that could focus a beam of light and cause disruption to a specific type of hydrogen atom in a specific target without harming those same atoms in the immediate area. This was key, since hydrogen is the most common element on the planet. If he could cause a controlled hydrogen explosion with just a beam of specifically focused energy, there would be many governments and supervillains who would pay much for such a weapon.

In fact, upon Ray's release, one government of a small African country was willing to let its people starve in order to fund his work. They paid half the agreed-upon price up front, fully funded Ray's research, and demanded a field test of the weapon before they paid the second half of his fee.

Ray was only too happy to oblige. All they had to do was mount the weapon to a satellite and park it above Middleton. Once the test was complete, they were welcome to take their little toy anywhere in orbit and vaporize away all their perceived problems.

Of course, Ray was careful to launder the money so thoroughly, in fact, the government it originated from couldn't trace it to him.

Then, on a chilly December third afternoon, Ray and a Colonel in the army of this particular African government stood at the window of a rented office in downtown Middleton and watched as Ron Stoppable returned from the store with an armload of gifts.

Could be they knew Ron would be there at that approximate time.

Could be due to the fact that Ron got a call informing him that the gifts his wife had ordered were wrapped and ready to be picked up. Could he come down immediately and get them? The store would be closing soon.

Ron Stoppable: naïve and trusting right up to the last minute of his life.

Even Ray was a little surprise at the force of the explosion.

Ron's benefactors were ecstatic with the outcome of the test and paid him the balance of his money; just short of a billion in U.S. currency. Soon after, however, that African government was overthrown in a coup by rebels who had ideas of their own about how the country should be run. No one was ever able to prove it, but Ray had been funneling money and weapons to the rebels for months. His only condition was that they destroy all evidence of his involvement with the previous government and disavow any knowledge of some alleged hydrogen weapon as well as destroy any evidence of it.

The U.S. government helped a little in this regard with a reactionary move; shooting down the satellite from which the beam had originated.

Ray Beam was a master at playing both ends against the middle.

He laid low for about six months, until he felt confident no one was going to come sniffing around him about Stoppable's murder, then quietly slipped into Middleton and hired a private investigator.

Ray liked to stick with what he knew.

He had the investigator dig up every scrap of information he could about Kim Possible any surviving family members. As expected, Kim had pretty much shut herself off from the world, while her son carried on the hero work. And the daughter…

Hello, what was this?

Not only was the daughter gorgeous, but she'd recently begun dating older men. Dead father issues perhaps?

Why settle for Old and Busted when Ray could have the New Hotness?

Ray enrolled in summer courses at Upperton University and, pulling out all his old skills at charming women, set to work on Veronica Stoppable. The fact that she'd never heard of Ray Beam was icing on the cake. The further fact that Mom didn't quite approve of Veronica's dating older men was the cherry.

She was reeled in much more easily than Kim had been some twenty-six years before.

And a subtle suggestion that Veronica not tell her mother she was dating this new guy was not only met with approval, Veronica actually made him promise he wouldn't tell anyone either. After all, Mom really might disapprove of her dating a man who had recently been in jail. But he convinced Veronica he was making a new start in life, and she just might be the guardian angel who would help him make that start.

She fell for it.

As in the old days, Ray turned on all his charms; pretended to be the caring listener, offered his best feigned sincerity and solace whenever Veronica needed it. Ray soon discovered that he was once again dating a woman who would _NOT SHUT UP_ about Ron Stoppable!

He found himself having to control a lot of rage, with very few outlets to vent it upon. It was too soon for Veronica to become one of those outlets, but in time…

Ray finally proposed after a few months, and Veronica accepted. She wanted a large wedding, the type a lot of girls dream about from an early age, and part of that entailed her mother's approval. Veronica went to visit Kim one day, to tell her of her impending nuptials and ask if her mother would be there. Ray thought it best if he didn't go along for the time being.

Kim barely let her daughter speak, demanding to know just how old this new fiancé was.

Fifty-one, was Veronica's hesitant answer.

Kim lost her temper, and began ranting about how Veronica was just trying to replace her father, and so forth. She may have been right, but the conversation never progressed to the point where Kim learned what her future son-in-law's name was. Otherwise things might have been different.

Veronica flew out of the house in tears, went straight to Ray and begged him to elope with her.

Of course he would, if that's what she wanted.

So that's what they did, after which Ray spirited her off to his recently purchased island in the Caribbean.

For the first couple of years, Veronica had little to no contact with her family, then gradually resumed contact with her brother mostly through holiday greetings cards and so forth. At some point, about four years into the marriage, Veronica felt the need to reconcile with her mom.

Ray forbid it.

And by that time, Ray had worked out enough anger on his wife over the years that she timidly obeyed. Ray believed in a particular philosophy about marriage: Kick a dog enough times and eventually it will come to believe it did something to deserve it. The philosophy worked with particular effectiveness on Veronica.

Veronica finally realized she never really loved Ray, and the moment she made noises about leaving him, he sat her down and explained, in great detail, how he had killed her father. And just so she understood very clearly, Ray had a satellite parked over her mother's house and the second she was gone, Kim would be vaporized.

Of course there was no satellite, but Veronica couldn't take that chance. With great despair, she promised Ray she would never leave him.

Ray patted her on the head, told her she was a good girl, and had her make him lunch.

That night, away from the listening ears of Veronica, Ray placed a call to his ex-fiance and explained with not-so-subtle hints what exactly had happened to Ron, and then gave a graphically detailed account of what would happen to her daughter if he ever saw a GJ agent, specifically TJ, anywhere near his shores.

Kim was bitterly furious, but her daughter was in the hands of a monster. She stayed quiet – as did Veronica - and TJ was kept in the dark.

Ray Beam was a master at playing both ends against the middle.

* * *

TJ sat in stunned silence.

Ron had just finished telling them everything that had happened in the six year period when he and Kim were apart, before they got married. He told them everything he knew about Ray Beam, about the cloning of Kim and the final showdown in Ray's lair.

Kimono was speechless herself. Apparently Ray Beam was a subject Shego never cared to discuss with _her_ daughter either.

"We gotta do something," Ron said quietly.

"Like what?" TJ asked.

"I don't know," Ron replied, "_Something_. How long have they been married?"

"About seven years," TJ said glumly.

"Mother?" came Kimono's voice from the front, she had dialed her phone, "It's me…hi… oh, we're OK. Listen, I just found out something about Veronica's husband… well, specifically, his name… apparently it might mean something to you."

Ron and TJ looked at each other.

"Ray Beam" Kimono continued, "No, I'm not kidding… what?… Does it matter where I heard it?…look… all I want to know is what you know about him. Yeah… fine… that's all before I was born though, right? OK…no, what did he… WHAT?… no, that's fine Mother, that's all I needed to know. I'll call you tomorrow, OK? Love to Daddy."

Kimono hung up and turned to look at her husband and father-in-law.

"Mom wouldn't come out and admit she had an affair with him, but she did say Ray has anger management issues in that he manages to take his anger out on whoever's near by." Kimono said in a stunned voice.

Ron nodded, "I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Kimono."

"It's all right," She replied, "And just call me KD. That's what you used to call me in high school."

"Katy?"

"No. Kay Dee, those were my initials. You called me that because you said you already had one Kim in the house and two would get confusing." Kimono explained.

"Ah," Ron grasped, "OK. What is it with me and initials? So what was your name before you became a Stoppable?"

Her tone of voice had an 'isn't it obvious' quality, "Kimono Drakken, what else?"

"DRAKKEN?" Ron exclaimed, "Your dad is… and he and Shego… My head is going to explode."

"Rufus," TJ said. He'd been lost in thought, "Contact Ariel for me will you?"

"Affirmative," The mole rat acknowledged.

"What's up, Teej?" A miniature hologram of Ariel appeared on the Ninjet's instrument panel.

"Hey, you remember the coordinates to the island where Veronica lives?" TJ asked.

"Yes I do." She answered.

"I need you to park a satellite above it and run scans all day tomorrow. Can you do that?"

"Sure. What am I looking for?" Curiosity laced Ariel's voice.

"Everything," TJ responded, "I want a complete tech scan of Veronica's house, top to bottom. All possible approaches, any defensive systems, you name it."

"You got it," Ariel disappeared.

"An Island?" Ron asked.

"He's wealthy, but no one knows where he got the money. Bought his own island; that's where they've lived the last seven years." His son explained.

Ron nodded grimly, "My daughter married a villain and lives in a lair."

"You know there's no way she knows the whole truth," TJ said evenly.

"Yeah, I guess," Ron replied, "But I don't understand why your mom didn't say anything. Kim would have freaked the minute she found out her daughter married Ray Beam."

"Maybe she did?" Kimono put in.

"How's that?" TJ asked.

"When I talked to Mother, her voice ran cold at the very mention of his name. But it sounded like there was fear there, too. Mom said if we're going to do anything, we need to do it soon."

* * *

"Shego, would you do me a favor and go get a newspaper from that newsstand across the street?"

"You want me to pay for it, or is this the usual 'Shego, go get me something' routine."

"Better pay for it. I don't want us to get stuck in the time stream because we were caught stealing a newspaper."

"What do you want with it anyway."

"Just want to check the date."

"Ah, and find out when we are?"

"Right."

Be right back…Drew."

…

"Well?"

"Looks like we came back about eight months."

"OK. Now what we need is a way to scan Kim Possible's energy signature without her freaking out about it. The sidekick, too."

"You can't just scan them from a distance?"

"Not with this. Has to be in close proximity."

"Wait a minute."

"What?"

"You're saying we need to get close to Kim Possible and take a scan of her energy signature without her reacting or trying to come after us?"

"You make it sound so simple, Shego."

"Maybe it will be."

"Wha-?"

"Look at the announcement on the front of the local section of the paper."

"'Former Teen Hero and Nobel Prize Winner Kim Possible to Wed This Weekend'. You want to crash the wedding?"

"I'm thinking we drop in on the reception, bring a gift to throw them off balance, and skedaddle after a quick scan."

"That's crazy."

"Well, if you've got a better id-"

"No, I mean it's so crazy, it just might work! We've got, what, three days until the wedding?"

"Uh…yep."

"Perfect. We'll lay low for a couple of days, then I'll sneak into my lair Friday night while I'm asleep-"

"While you're asleep?"

"While the other me is asleep. The one who belongs in this time period."

"Oh."

"Anyway, I'll sneak in and grab my laser letter opener. That'll make a nice gift…huh."

"What?"

"So _that's_ what happened to the letter opener. I thought I lost it eight months ago."

"They'll be so busy fussing over what looks like a tiny ray weapon-"

"And the fact that it'll be their wedding day-"

"They won't be too troubled to come after us. You know, I think you're right."

"How's that?"

"It's so crazy, it just might work."

"Word up, Shego."

* * *

Kim was halfway across the pacific before she realized she had to check with Wade on the coordinates of Yamanuchi. She'd never actually been to the ninja school Ron had trained at for four years. It gave her a twinge. She'd be seeing a place that held special significance for Ron and he wasn't here to share it with her.

Again, the tears began to well up. But she thought again of Justine, working away at the lab, putting aside her grief to help in the effort to save the world. She pushed the tears back down again.

She had just given her Global Justice security clearances to Tokyo Air Traffic Control when Wade beeped in.

The look on his face told her half the story.

"What's the sitch, Wade?" She tried to sound jovial.

"What's this thing you're doing at Yamanuchi?" Wade began cryptically.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Kim explained, "I only came here because there's no other way to contact Sensei. I gave him a promise the night of my wedding, and he's asked me to fulfill it. I'm on my way to explain why I can't."

"Maybe you should think about keeping it… your promise I mean." Wade suggested.

"What are you talking about?" Kim began to feel inexplicably cold.

"We've been taking readings of the timeline with the Quantum Disruptor for the last couple of days. For the most part, it's kind of like a sonar. We send out a reading, and get a sort of Quantum Echo from the timeline." Wade explained.

"And today you got no echo." Kim guessed, the dread creeping into her voice.

"Yeah…" Wade said glumly. "We're a still at least two weeks away from testing a potential working model of the Artificial Tempus Simia. I don't think we have two weeks."

"Explain something to me Wade," Kim practically demanded, "If we can develop an artificial Tempus Simia in two weeks, then at that point in the timeline – two weeks from now - we should be using it, right?"

"Not exactly," Wade explained patiently, "Time travel isn't supposed to exist. The events of the timeline are those that don't account for anyone time traveling. Once Monkey Fist stepped outside the timeline, events began to shift. But the shift happens in real time. If right now you were to travel to tomorrow – and I literally mean the day after today – you'd find us all behaving normally; going about our regular lives because the events that concern Monkey Fist and his time traveling won't get there until you and I get there…to tomorrow, I mean."

"Man," Kim said exasperated, "Time travel is a truckload of ferociously whack theories."

"That's one way to put it," Wade agreed.

"So how much time do you think we have left?"

"A week," Wade replied despondently, "Maybe less. In fact we're shutting down the labs now, sending everyone home to be with their loved ones. Justine says she'll keep working…for obvious reasons."

"What are _you_ going to do?" Kim asked her friend.

"I'm going home to be with my wife." Wade answered.

"You're wife? Did you guys-?"

"No. But I wanted to say it just once to see how it feels."

"And?"

"I like it." Wade's voice began to tremble, "I only wish I'd gotten to say it for real."

Kim didn't know what to say in response. She had a lump in her throat and a cold, hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Kim," Wade said quietly, "I'm glad I got to share my existence with you and Ron."

"Me too, Wade" Kim tried to keep the emotion out of her voice but couldn't "Give Monique a big kiss from me. Tell her I said…

_goodbye_

"…tell her I said you guys rock."

"Will d-… I will, Kim." Wade said with conviction, "I guess that was our last sitch, huh?… Goodbye, Kim Possible."

The monitor blinked out.

Kim's mind was numb as she began to descend toward Mount Yamanuchi.

* * *

"We are approaching the coordinates," Rufus Three Thousand announced.

"Guys," Kimono said over her shoulder, "Maybe we should put the Veronica problem on hold until after the mission. There's not much we can do about it tonight."

"Good idea," TJ agreed. Ron nodded.

"Incoming message from Ariel," Rufus declared.

Ariel showed up on the instrument panel, "I've got the satellite in place. You guys are coming up on DMV headquarters. I'm not reading any air defense systems, so I don't see why you can't just land outside the compound. But keep your eyes open."

"Will do," Kimono acknowledged. They were approaching a tiny outcropping of an island off Nova Scotia. Kimono descended to less than fifty feet and they streaked along the surface of the water. She switched off all lights that would be visible to the ground and powered up a three dimensional display that superimposed itself over the terrain, making it appear as though they were flying in virtual daylight.

At the last second, the Ninjet drastically decreased its velocity and approached the tiny island at a semi-hovering kind of speed.

The lair took up most of the space on the island, but there was a clearing just on the other side that provided adequate space to land.

The lair itself was a large metallic, geodesic dome, about five stories high. There were no interior lights visible from the outside.

The Ninjet settled to the ground in front of a giant sign with a large number nine painted on it on it and the four of them got out into the crisp Canadian night air. Water lapped and sloshed against the rocks on the shore, the stars were visible in abundance, and there was a tang of salt in the air.

Ron looked up and wondered if his wife or daughter might be watching the same night sky somewhere.

It was decided the best approach would be from the roof. A moment later, three grappling hooks sailed up and latched themselves to various anchor points near the top of the dome. Rufus sat on Ron's shoulder as they ascended the cables.

Ron had decided to leave his mask in the jet since Kimono and TJ didn't wear them. They said they didn't get the whole secret identity thing.

Rufus lasered a hole large enough to descend on suspended cables and four figures dropped silently into the center of the dome.

The darkened interior was mostly empty in the center, but was ringed with a large upper balcony. Ron thought he saw shadows moving in the dark and told Kimono as much.

"Those are our bad guys," she explained.

"Why don't we grab 'em?" Ron asked.

"You'll see. These guys do everything the same way every time. First the lights will come on, then cue the maniacal laughter, and then they'll introduce themselves. They never deviate, never cut any corners." Kimono whispered.

"Seems kind of anal retentive," Ron observed.

"Yeah, well, they're the DMV. Once we tried to apprehend them before they got around to explaining their evil plan, and they refused to talk to us or even cooperate until we 'followed the correct procedure'. They hit the self-destruct button and we all came this close to getting fried." TJ contributed.

"So now," Kimono went on, "If we at least let them go through the motions, we usually have a fighting chance to do what needs to be done and get out of here."

Suddenly the lights came on, and the dome began to echo with maniacal laughter.

"So, Team Ronin, you've found our latest lair!" came a slightly crazed voice from the balcony above, "Now prepare to tremble before the deviousness of our latest plot to inconvenience the world! MWA HA HA HA HA HA!"

TJ looked at his wife and father and rolled his eyes, "This is where - despite the fact that we all know each other - they introduce themselves."

Ron looked up to see three men glaring down at them with insidious grins on their faces. The one on the far left had been speaking, now he continued.

"We are the Departmant of Maniacal Villains! I am Diabolik!" He said raising his fists into the air.

"And I am Mentallo!" The one in the middle shouted, pointing his finger at the heroes.

"And I'm Verne!" Said the third man in a friendly tone.

"'Verne'?" Ron whispered.

"Yeah," Kimono whispered back, "He's the friendly face of the DMV. He gives you the misimpression that your time here might actually be a quick and pleasant experience. But it never is."

"Behold!" Diabolik cried. A panel in the floor slid aside and a large ray-type weapon rose dramatically from below, "Our Molecular Decelerator!"

For some odd reason, there was a cat lounging on one of the weapon's control panels.

A side door opened and a henchman came running out. The ray turned abruptly toward him and fired. The henchman stopped in his tracks, flailing his arms and moving his torso, but unable to move his feet.

"With this weapon, we will bring the world to a complete halt. They will pay billions to be released from such an inconvenience. The world will bow to us!" Mentallo ranted.

"OK, hold up!" Ron finally spoke, "Just to clarify; the DMV's latest plot is to make everyone stand around all day, so that no one has the ability to go anywhere or get anything done?"

"Last time we took these guys down," TJ exposited, "They had developed a ray that turned billboards and road signs into large eye charts. People got so confused trying to read them there were traffic accidents across the globe."

"Can we take 'em yet?" Ron asked.

"Not until the henchm-" TJ began and was interrupted by doors sliding open all around them. They were rushed by about thirty goons.

"Whoa!" Kimono exclaimed getting into a combat-ready stance, "These guys look extra vicious. Where'd you get them?"

"The NHL," Verne explained helpfully, "Since there was no season this year, these guys were looking to make a few extra bucks."

"Ready to go to work, baby?" TJ said, his voice tensing up with excitement.

"Always," Kimono replied, her fists erupted into turquoise fire.

Ron dropped into a crouch and leaped into the air, over the heads of the onrushing henchmen. He knocked two heads together and landed on a third guard, slamming him to the floor.

Rufus leaped from Ron's shoulder to the Molecular Decelerator and began sabotaging the weapon.

Kimono blasted a guard into two others, spun, and clothes-lined a fourth. Then Ron watched as she grabbed a fifth and threw him at TJ.

"Teej!" she called out, "Right leg roundhouse!"

TJ was busy knocking two heads together and, without even looking, swung his right leg out just in time for the flying guard to fold around it with a sharply exhaled grunt.

"That was baddical!" Ron shouted excitedly, then felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned and ducked, barely missing an incoming fist. Ron stepped backward a few paces, using the guard's momentum against him, pulling him by the hand that had just been on Ron's shoulder. Ron stopped abruptly, twisted so the guard ran square into his hip, and flung the guard up over his shoulder, dropping him to the floor. Then he did a quick handstand on the unconscious guard as two others rushed in on either side of him. He threw his legs out and caught both guards under their chins. They dropped like bags of concrete. Ron pivoted around on his hands and vaulted himself up into a combat-ready stance.

Kimono sprung up onto the shoulders of the nearest goons and vaulted from him, into a backward handspring to the shoulders of the next guard, then vaulted from his shoulders to a third just before the second one dropped. She dropped to the floor behind the third guard and blasted him against a nearby wall.

"Everyone halt where they are!" screamed Diabolik. The heroes looked up to see the villain holding Rufus by the scruff of the neck, a nasty looking ray-type pistol against the rodent's head. "Cease this immediately or your hairless pet will be disintegrated."

Team Ronin froze. The henchmen closed in. Ron vaulted off the nearest guard, caught the edge of the balcony floor, and swung himself up, coming to a halt facing Diabolik and Rufus.

"Not another step," the villain said menacingly.

"That's a disintegrator, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"You only know that because I just said it was," Diabolik mocked.

"Which means you won't fire." Ron said casually, "You'll disintegrate yourself as well."

"Do not concern yourself with me," Rufus said with deep-voiced authority, "To die in the cause of justice is an honor every mole rat agent craves."

"Anyone ever tell you that you sound like that guy from the old TV series 'Space Passage'?" Ron asked, taking a step forward.

"Couple of times," Rufus confirmed.

"Not another step!" Diabolik shouted. "I will disintegrate him!"

"So do it," Ron said shrugging his shoulders, "You heard him, it would be an honor!"

"All right," Diabolik said, holding Rufus at arm's length. He flung the mole rat straight above him and raised the weapon.

Before Diabolik had finished saying the word 'right', Ron was moving. He ran straight up Doabolik, kicked the weapon from his hand, and vaulted off the villain's shoulders, snatching Rufus out of the air and tucking the mole rat into his arms. Ron curled his legs in and threw his head back, somersaulting over backward. TJ and Kimono drew in sharp breaths as they realized Ron had flipped too hard, and would end up doing an extra half somersault, crashing down on his back or head. But Ron had no such intention. On his way down, his legs shot out, scissoring Diabolik's neck in a vice grip and twisted his body, slamming the villain to the floor. Ron landed on his stomach with a grunt, but managed to gently toss Rufus away from him just before impact so the mole rat went harmlessly tumbling away.

Diabolik didn't get up.

"OH YEAH!" TJ shouted with enthusiasm, "Who's your daddy, Diabolik? My daddy, that's who!"

"That makes a lot of sense," Kimono muttered sarcastically, "TJ, left elbow back!"

TJ brought his elbow up and drove it into the face of a guard who'd been stalking toward him.

Ron moved on to Mentallo who didn't put up much of a fight, and Verne surrendered good-naturedly after that. Realizing they probably wouldn't be getting a paycheck, the remaining goons gave up.

"Rufus, contact Ariel" Kimono ordered.

"Affirmative," Rufus confirmed. A moment later, a hologram of Ariel appeared in the lair.

"Ariel," TJ spoke up, "We need a clean-up on Isle Nine."

Kimono shot a glare at her husband.

"GJ aircraft are on their way," Ariel confirmed. "They're being escorted by the Canadian Bureau for the Resistance of Evil Ways."

"I was wondering if BREW was going to get in on this," TJ mused.

Kimono walked over to Ron, who was standing by the disabled Molecular Decelerator, "Nice work, agent Stoppable!"

"Oh," Ron said with a modest wave, "I didn't do anything. But I did apprehend this cat!"

He picked up the feline who yawned and looked at him with half closed eyes.

"I think we can dispense the justice right here without having to bring him in," Kimono said playing along, "Hold him up, please."

Ron did as he was asked.

Kimono pointed an accusatory finger at the disinterested cat.

"Bad Kitty!" She said firmly, then winked at her father-in-law, "I think he's learned his lesson."

Kimono turned and walked serenely away. Ron's jaw gaped, then he looked over at TJ who was grinning, "Oh, I like her. She's silly."

A few minutes later, the Ninjet rose up and away from Island Nine at rapid velocity, the four occupants chattering excitedly about their recent victory.

Reluctantly, Rufus was forced to put a damper on the mood.

"Agent Stoppable," The mole rat turned to TJ, "I have an incoming e-mail holo-message. It is from your sister."

"Veronica?" TJ looked at the others, "Go ahead and play it."

A holographic version of Veronica appeared on the instrument panel. Ron caught his breath. She had short hair that came down to just above her shoulders, and was a little on the thin side, but otherwise she looked just like her mother.

"Hey, little brother. I know you haven't heard from me in a long time…"

* * *

Having just sent her e-mail, Veronica huddled in a closet near the back of the house. Sometimes when Ray drank, everything would be magnified by a factor of ten, especially his anger.

Ray drank a lot lately.

When he did, Veronica would take her MP3 player and hide from him. Most of the time these days she only listened to one song.

_**She's only known**_

_**Heartache and pain**_

_**But she's never known**_

_**A pain like this.**_

Veronica often retreated into her headphones to try and drown out the torment that plagued her.

Seven years.

Had she really been with Ray that long?

_**She stands alone**_

_**Defending her name**_

_**When all that she's done**_

_**Is be who she is.**_

Music was an escape for her. But this song was more than that. It spoke to her. At least all but the last verse did. It was like she could have written this song herself. She would spend hours and hours listening to it, each time stopping the song before it got to the final verse, each time pushing the button to start it over again, each time coming closer and closer to what she saw as the only means of escape.

_**Why is it so wrong**_

_**To be who we are**_

_**When all that she's done**_

_**Is fail.**_

It was her fault. She knew it, had said it to herself a thousand times, and Ray, of course, took every opportunity to remind her. If she hadn't been so trusting, so blind… so stupid…

'_**Cause she's so nice, naïve, and beautiful**_

_**Why did she get taken for granted**_

_**Why does she live in a world so cold**_

_**He took advantage of the nice, naïve and the beautiful**_

Mom probably wouldn't understand. Veronica had to pay for her own mistakes. Mom was right, she had been seeking a substitute for her father. And Mom knew more than anyone that there wasn't one. Better to live with the pain of loss than the bitterness of regret.

_**Cold is the throne**_

_**Of her hardened heart**_

_**No one has seen**_

_**The softest part**_

How did she come to this? The daughter of a world famous hero was the scared, timid sponge of a dark man's rage. She had given herself over to everything her mother…and her father… had spent their lives fighting against.

_**Day after day**_

_**She holds an ache**_

_**And won't budge to show**_

_**Her secret place**_

Tears always came when she imagined what her father would think of her if he were alive. He'd be disappointed. Never once had he shown anything but pride in her. But Veronica Stoppable wasn't raised to marry a villain. She'd betrayed his memory. Now there was only one way out.

_**Is it so wrong**_

_**To hold on to hurt**_

_**Maybe she could**_

_**Set it free**_

Tears streamed down her face. Veronica pushed the button to start the song over.

Soon.

Soon she would find to courage to go through with it.

Soon she would set herself free.

And she would be in a place where Ray couldn't touch her.

A place where she wouldn't have to be tortured by the ghost of her father.

A place where perhaps she could be a ghost herself.

* * *

"…but I wanted to say a few things." Veronica's message continued, "I wish everything had turned out differently. I wish it didn't have to be this way between Mom and me. But there are some things you don't know about, and I can't tell you, because if I do, Mom might be hurt, or worse."

It was clear that Veronica had begun to cry.

"It's all my fault. None of it is Mom's. Would you do me a favor and tell her she was right? I was trying to find comfort in men Dad's age because I missed him so much… I still do."

She paused as the sobs took control of her. Then regained herself a little.

"I just wanted you to know I love you…and Kim, too. And tell Mom I love her."

The message ended abruptly.

Silence pervaded throughout the cockpit.

"What was that about?" TJ asked after a moment, confused.

"I know what it was about." Ron said quietly. "I've seen that look in her eyes before."

"Where?"

"A long time ago, in the mirror."


	15. XIV

Author's regret: After much contemplation, I've decided to put the story on hold at the end of the next chapter. While I would probably be able to produce – at most – three more chapters before I had to halt, pausing at the end of chapter fifteen makes much more sense, as it will be the end of 'act two' and we make our way into the climax (which, I'm hoping, won't be more than about five chapters, plus the obligatory epilogue). I've just got too much to do over the next two weeks in preparation for my relocation to the Northwest, and one or two other things I've got going on. I would much rather pause at the end of chapter fifteen than leave it in the middle of the climax for three weeks. So, after I post chapter fifteen, UNION will be on hiatus until the middle of August or so. Sorry, but it just has to be this way. I promise, the end of the next chapter will not be some horrible cliffhanger.

Story highlight: Check out faithful reader Caiyne's story entitled "Seven". No, it's not a fusion fic with Ron Stoppable as Brad Pitt and Wade as Morgan Freeman. In fact, the latest chapter has a fight sequence so vivid, you might find yourself ducking involuntarily while reading it. Link's in his profile.

Thanks to all who are reading.

Super Duper thanks to: Kemiztri, JPMod, Jokerisdaking, son-sama, Spooks-A-Lot, mattB3671, PseudoJuliet, Porphyria-Kris, you love cliffies, The Incredible Werekitty, MrDrP, Hermit Homeboy, Jezrianna2.0, TusconCoyote, Widow Shark, Cold Chaos, Dreammergurl2007, Sestran NK, aimtbj, Lkillingsworth, Kimberly Ann Possible, Baby Mama 9672, Potential Boy, and pbsbelle.

Thanks also to all who read and reviewed my one-shot "Don't Let Go", your words were greatly appreciated.

"Is that all you got? I'll take your best shot!" – P.O.D.

* * *

XIV

* * *

It was almost peaceful. In fact, under other circumstances it would have been beautiful.

Waves crashed and frothed against the rocks below. Gulls cried as they hovered on the constant breeze. The warm air was tinged with the smell of sea salt, though she never noticed it any more.

Her house stood atop a high bluff overlooking the ocean. When they'd first arrived, it kind of reminded her of the home she grew up in, that big house on the bluff overlooking the lake her father loved so much. And when she'd first seen it, it was almost a sort of confirmation that Ray Beam truly was 'The One'.

Oh, the lies we sometimes tell ourselves; the signs that aren't there in hindsight, or the little omens we invent that we later use to convince ourselves we're on the right track.

She thought Ray had been her soul mate.

But destiny, if it existed, was a cruel master. It had matched her with her father's killer. Or, Veronica thought to herself resignedly, destiny was a convenient scapegoat for the horrible choices she had made.

How had it come to this point?

How could such an unlikely pairing of her and the man who murdered her father have happened?

There were some questions Veronica had no answers to. Maybe fate was punishing her after all. Trying to compensate for the loss of a father? Here, try this guy. Oh, by all means, don't ask too many questions. After all, he is such an attentive listener.

Ha.

It was about two years into their marriage, long before he informed her of what he'd done to her father, that he finally told her he didn't want to "hear any more about Ron Stoppable".

She should have known then.

She did know then, but she chose to ignore the red flag because, after all, she had gone into this marriage with her eyes open. She wasn't blind, it just turned out she didn't want to see.

Veronica looked down at the waves crashing on the rocks far below her.

Yes, there were many ways she could end it, but this seemed the most tragically romantic to her.

"Ever hear the story about the girl who unknowingly married her father's killer?" People would say in melodramatic tones over a café latte, "One day she flung herself from a high cliff into the sea below to escape his cruel clutches."

"Oh, how awful," would come the reply.

But deep down everyone liked these stories because they were so beautifully tragic, and, of course, they didn't happen to anyone _they_ knew.

No one told such tales if the girl took too many sleeping pills or cut her wrists. It was the image of her last despairing act of attempted redemption, falling through the air to disappear forever beneath the foamy embrace of the waves. That's what made it all so sad… so wonderfully sad.

Every afternoon for the past week she had come out here, trying to work up the courage to take that one last step, the one that would solve everything, the one that held her escape.

A tear ran down her cheek. She realized today she was still too afraid.

But soon.

Maybe tomorrow.

Veronica turned and walked back toward the house. Ray would be wanting dinner soon.

* * *

Ron let out an audible sigh of relief as he watched the satellite image of his daughter turn away from the cliff edge and walk back toward the house.

"You all right?" Kimono asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be OK," Ron said quietly.

"Maybe she just likes to go out there and look at the ocean," TJ suggested.

"No," Ron said with conviction, "She's just trying to work up the courage."

"Ariel," Kimono turned to the holographic image of Wade's daughter. "Tell me again why we can't go in tonight?"

"Everything shuts down and, based on the scans I took last night, the entire place is lit up with motion sensors, heat detectors and pressure-sensitive surface monitors." Ariel explained, "At one point last night a seagull landed on the roof of the house and set off one of the motion sensor/heat detectors. About twelve guards responded."

"But all that stuff is turned off during the day?" Ron asked.

"All but the surveillance cameras, which are placed just about everywhere." Ariel confirmed, "There's a pre-dawn gap between the time the guards take their stations and the point when the more sensitive detection equipment is shut down."

"Where does he keep the henchmen?" TJ asked, "Do they stay in the main house?"

"No," Ariel responded, "Based on thermal imaging and X-Ray scans, it appears there is a large cavern in the hill opposite the house."

Ron threw up his hands in disgust, "Henchmen and a hollowed-out hill. He's planning something big. You don't have hired goons just to keep an unhappy wife from leaving, not when you're on an island."

"OK, so we roll in with a GJ strike team," Kimono concluded, "Based on this information and Ray's past efforts at global conquest, we should be able to get clearance on an operation."

"Problem with that," Ariel explained, "Are the island's considerable air and land defense systems. Missile launchers and disintegrator ray emplacements surround the place. Guards patrol every inch of space in between."

"One man has a better chance of getting through," Ron said, staring at the satellite image of the island.

"Let me do it, Dad," TJ said, "I can-"

"No!" Ron said, perhaps more forcefully than he meant to, "This is my fault for not telling you kids about Ray in the first place. Besides, you'll be there. I won't be doing this totally alone. I can't believe your mother didn't at least try to do something when she found out."

"_If _she found out," Kimono corrected, "And if she did, this guy sounds like he may have had his bases covered. Not to mention the fact that Mom isn't the same person she used to be."

Ron looked at his daughter-in-law.

"You wouldn't recognize her, Dad," TJ said quietly, "Your death hit her just as hard as it hit Veronica. All the fight just kind of went out of her."

Ron turned back to the satellite image. A lone tree on the front lawn of the house caught his interest. "Ariel? You've been recording this image all day, right?"

"Yes I have."

"Can you go back to the point where the sun came up and then run the recording in a kind of fast-forward?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I can run a time-lapse image. Ready?"

"Do it."

The three humans and one mole rat watched as the image of the island darkened slightly, then rapidly lit up. People scurried about the island in triple time. Ron studied the front lawn of the house intently.

"Freeze it there," Ron ordered.

The image halted.

"How many cameras are on that front lawn?" He asked.

"As best I can tell, just the one." Ariel said after a moment.

"Roll the past three hours back and forth for me will you?"

"Sure thing, Uncle Ron," Ariel acknowledged.

The image showed people and shadows moving in one direction, then halted, and moved back in the opposite direction.

"That's it." Ron said, pointing at the front lawn, "That's our way in."

"I don't understand," TJ was puzzled.

"Sometimes," Ron turned and smiled at his son, "Being a ninja isn't just about interesting ways to hit someone."

* * *

"Kim Stoppable," Sensei said, favoring the hero with a bow, "It is good to see you again. I was most displeased to hear your husband is missing."

"How did you know about Ron?" Kim asked, astonished.

"I was informed by a reliable source," he replied cryptically, "But we are in much haste. Please come with me."

Sensei led her out into the courtyard and into a separate building. He stopped at a door just inside and slid it open.

Yori was inside.

Once more, Kim felt like an ordinary dandelion next to the exotic nature of Yori's beauty.

"Yori is First Instructor at the school. She will be assisting you." Sensei informed her.

"With what?" Kim asked.

"All will be made known in its proper time," Sensei bowed and walked out.

"Greetings, Stoppable-san," Yori said with a bow.

Kim returned the bow quickly, "Hello Yori, what's this all about?"

"I do not know," Yori said, shaking her head, "When I awoke this morning, I was told to prepare for your arrival. I am to help you get dressed."

"Dressed?"

"Yes. Please step this way. Sensei said you are to choose from the clothing available in here. Again, I do not know why." Yori slid aside a closet door to reveal a rack full of very unusual clothing.

Kim's mind was filled with any number of thoughts and emotions. None of them had anything to do with wardrobe selection. Things seemed to have taken a turn for the absurd.

The world is ending, Ron is lost in the time stream… but here, pick out a nice outfit.

"Are you going to be wearing something out of here?" Kim asked.

"I have already chosen," Yori said, indicating her jet-black ninja-style garb, "You are to dress for a long journey, and Sensei says you are to bring one extra set of clothing with you."

"What's wrong with the clothes I have?"

"Sensei was very adamant about this. Only clothing from the school may be worn. I do not know why." Yori said, indicating the wardrobe.

Kim stood there for a moment, wondering if she should simply beg Sensei to let her off this seemingly bizarre promise fulfillment. It suddenly occurred to her that if these were the last few hours or days of her existence, then she'd at least rather be with her family.

"Please," came Sensei's voice from the other side of the door, "We are unable to afford much more time."

There was an urgency in his voice that seemed to surprise even Yori. Kim sensed by Yori's reaction that he was behaving in a manner other than was typical for him.

Then an almost abstract thought occurred to Kim. She wasn't necessarily a great believer in fate, or destiny, or whatever term you might want to use to explain circumstances that seem just a little too convenient to be called 'coincidence'. But she had been through enough in her lifetime to at least wonder if there weren't forces – or a Force – or whatever, that worked to control the destinies of, if not all, then at least a select group of humans throughout history.

Though there wasn't time to contemplate all the examples, it seemed there were all kinds of happenstances throughout the history of humankind that, whenever evil sought to control the course of humanity, somehow, in almost seemingly impossible circumstances, heroes would rise. And those heroes were not always gifted with great powers. Sometimes they were simply people who chose to stand for what was right, and would eventually vanquish evil in the face of almost insurmountable odds.

Her reason for being here at Yamanuchi just may not have been accidental after all.

All of this flew through Kim's mind as she perused the clothing on the rack. She didn't care much for ninja outfits; that was Ron's thing. But here were a couple of pieces that might do nicely. Though, 'do nicely' for what, Kim wasn't sure.

"Can I alter this?" She said, pulling out a pair of trousers.

Yori silently handed her a set of heavy-duty scissors. Kim hastily did some cutting and then changed out of her clothes and into the ones she had chosen, setting the spare outfit aside for the time being.

Yori nodded when Kim had finished dressing and stepped aside so Kim could examine herself in a mirror.

She wore a sort of vest, made from what looked and felt like a reddish-brown deer-hide leather, which was lighter, thinner and much more flexible than cow leather. It laced up in the front, like a peasant blouse, and left the arms bare to the shoulder. Kim had modified it slightly by cutting the vest at the midriff, knowing the leather would be quite warm and the less she had covering her, the less uncomfortable she would be. The matching trousers were roomy and loose, much like her old high school mission cargoes, but secured at the waist by a strap she salvaged from the cast-off piece of the vest. Because the trouser legs went all the way past the ankles, they felt rather heavy. Kim cut the leg-sleeves a couple of inches below the knees and secured them tightly to her legs with smaller leather straps so the cuffs wouldn't flop and chafe when she walked. The ensemble was finished off with a pair of simple flat-bottom sandals with tiny leather-strap laces that went up to her ankles.

Kim took one last leather strap and tied her almost waist-length hair into a large, bushy tail, drawing her bangs away from her face and leaving the back of her neck open to the air so it would stay cool.

For her second outfit, she chose a rough, beige leather sort of skirt, and a tan cotton tunic. By the time she was finished, she knew where she was about to go.

"You're sending us after Monkey Fist, aren't you?" Kim said as she slid open the door.

Sensei looked at her approvingly, "You are indeed shrewd and perceptive. Please follow me."

"How did you hear about Monkey Fist? Did Wade contact you somehow?" Kim asked, trailing after him with her bundle of clothes.

"I do not know who this 'Wade' is." Sensei answered and said nothing more.

Kim looked to Yori whose eyes told her she knew less about what was happening than Kim did.

Sensei led them through the grounds of Yamanuchi. Kim looked around, wondering what Ron's four years spent here must have been like. She remembered suddenly that Ron had had a brief relationship with Yori here. He'd sat down with her and told her all about it a few days after they had returned from their honeymoon. Kim felt a twinge as though a ghost of a relationship from Ron's past had brushed by her.

What did Yori think of all this?

Kim remembered back to her wedding reception. She hadn't paid much attention at the time, but in hindsight, she remembered Yori had never once taken her eyes off of Ron. What did _she_ feel when she learned Ron was missing?

They reached the cliff face at the rear of the school grounds. Sensei turned and abruptly began ascending an impossibly steep staircase.

Yori gasped.

"What?" Kim asked, turning to her.

"Master is taking us to his private room high on the cliff." Yori whispered, "He only comes to this room once every autumn, and no one else has ever been allowed to do what we are about to do. This is a very rare honor. What did you say earlier about Monkey Fist?"

"He didn't tell you?" Kim asked curiously, "Monkey Fist has gone back in time to ancient Japan. His presence there is tearing apart the space/time continuum. I've been helping a team back in the United States in their efforts to duplicate the effects of the Tempus Simia so I could go after him."

"Please hurry," Sensei called down from twenty feet above them.

Kim began climbing first, then Yori came after her.

"What are you to do once you find him?" Yori asked.

"Destroy the idol," Kim answered simply, "Wade believes there's a fifty-fifty chance that either the timeline will repair itself, or all of reality will finally be destroyed. Problem is, Ron's been thrown into the time stream as well. I think if we _captured_ the idol, we might be able to use the Tempus Simia to come back to _before_ the time Monkey Fist left, and prevent him from going. If that's the case, then it will likely prevent Ron from being lost in the time stream as a result, or at least I can tell Wade just exactly what Apollyon is up to before he throws Ron out of the continuum."

"And you believe Sensei has a way of sending us to wherever Monkey Fist has gone?" Yori asked

"After the last couple of weeks I've had, I'm willing to believe just about anything." Kim answered.

"I suppose I am to go with you because I speak Japanese," Yori stated.

"I bet it's more than that, Yori. You're highly skilled at Ninjitsu, and we stand a much better chance of success with you along." Kim countered.

Yori said nothing in return.

And though she missed Ron terribly, Kim was glad in some way that it was her and Yori going instead of Ron and Yori. Something about the way Yori had looked at her husband she just did not like at all.

It took well over an hour to make the ascent. When they reached the top, Kim turned and looked back down at the school far below them. They were standing on a ledge, with a door that had been cut into the cliff seemingly eons ago.

Sensei turned to Kim, "Did your husband tell you of the dreams I have been sending to him?"

Kim's jaw dropped, "The dreams about the school and the large shape-shifting gorilla with mystical powers?"

"Then he has told you of them." Sensei confirmed, "I was sending him those dreams in the hopes to prepare him for the journey you are about to take. But since he is not going, I hope he at least told you of them."

"Yes," Kim answered, "Can you tell me what they mean?"

"You will know this when you arrive at your destination. Now," He said turning toward the door, "Please step inside and turn to the right, facing the wall. Do not look back over your shoulder. Always face the wall. You may sit, if you wish upon the stones that rest on the floor to the right. I implore you, please do not look to the left under any circumstances."

Kim and Yori did as they were told.

Once they were seated facing the wall, Sensei stood behind them and placed a hand on their heads, "Use your skills and your wisdom to the best of your abilities. Make only wise choices, and not rash decisions. You must stay in this room until the time comes when you are to exit. You will know when that is. Once you arrive, you will need to explain patiently to the first person you meet what your circumstances are. If you do this, then I believe great help will come to you. May Destiny smile upon you, and save us all."

And with that, Sensei turned and exited the room.

For a few minutes, nothing seemed to be happening. Kim turned and looked to Yori, who had her head bowed and her eyes closed. Kim resumed looking at the wall again.

The only light in the room was coming from the doorway, suddenly it seemed to grow dim and then dark in the space of a few minutes. Utter blackness surrounded and enveloped them, though a dim sort of dark blue seemed to come from the door.

"Yori? Are you there?"

"I am here, Stoppable-san. Are you frightened?"

"I wouldn't say frightened," Kim said nervously, "But I would say very nervous."

"I am quite frightened," Yori said in a tremulous voice.

Kim reached out and put a hand on Yori's shoulder. Yori sighed. Very rapidly, it began to grow light in the room, as sunlight once more streamed through the doorway.

"What was-?" Kim began, but just as quickly as the light came up, it dimmed again into darkness.

And, in a seemingly more rapid fashion than before, the light again came up. Then darkness.

This went on, as light and dark exchanged places more quickly. Soon, the room felt like the inside of a strobe light. Kim and Yori glanced at each other. Neither of them seemed to feel any odd effects over what was happening.

Faster and faster the strobe effect continued, until it was blinking so fast, neither of them could tell the difference between the light and the dark. The room was swathed in a fluctuating grayness.

Kim heard a noise behind her and, purely on reflex, turned to look at what it was.

"No," Yori exclaimed, "We must not-"

Kim cut her off with a startled yelp. Yori, unable to help herself, also turned to look.

Kim was hallucinating.

There appeared to be people on the other side of the room. One of them looked like her. Another looked like-

_Ron?_

And yet another looked like Drakken.

Whatever the effect this room was having on her, part of it was an illusion of people she knew. And yet, there were faces she did not recognize either.

Suddenly, Sensei was in the room.

"Sensei," Yori protested, "I'm sorry, we did not mean to-"

Sensei disappeared long before Yori cut her sentence off.

The he reappeared, and disappeared again.

When he reappeared again, he was pointing sternly at the wall behind them, but he was gone before either of them could say anything. Again he appeared, again he was pointing, and again he was gone.

Kim and Yori turned around and faced the wall again. Better to look at a smooth stone wall than phantoms conjured up by the mind.

The only sounds, other than their voices, seemed to be whispers. But if so, they were whispers in a strange language she did not recognize.

They sat for what seemed like forever, gazing intently at the wall, waiting for something to happen.

Then, so gradually they didn't even notice at first, the light began to fluctuate less and less until it slowed to a rapid strobe. Then that rapid strobe itself began to slow until the light and dark were distinguishable once more. At some point, the strange whispers ceased abruptly. Eventually the alternating light and dark slowed to a crawl, and at last, the dark lingered for a few moments until the light came up, very gradually, and did not fade.

Still they sat, waiting from something to happen, or someone to come and get them. At last, Kim looked over to Yori, who was already gazing at her intently.

"Perhaps we should venture outside." Yori suggested.

Kim nodded and they both got up, moving apprehensively to the door.

Yori gasped when they looked down, "We have come into the past."

"How can you tell?" Kim asked.

"That building there," She said pointing, "Ron-san knocked over a tree, causing the building to collapse his first time here. Back when the two of you were in high school."

Kim felt a twinge. She'd never heard this story, and it bugged her that Yori would know something about Ron that she did not. In addition it began to sink in that she was likely hundreds, if not thousands, of years away from her husband. She now knew how Ron must have felt when he found himself in the ancient Roman scenario.

"Guess we should go down," Kim suggested.

Yori nodded and together they descended the cliff face. Going down proved much harder than coming up, since the staircase – which was really almost a crude ladder carved into the cliff – was less awkward to climb than it was to descend.

At last, however, they reached the bottom of the cliff and began to make their way through the school grounds. Upon turning a corner they came to a group of young adults who seemed to be in the middle of a sparring session. Everyone suddenly stopped and turned to face them.

"Konichi wa," Yori greeted them, and bowed slightly.

No one responded. Most of them were staring at Kim.

Yori spoke a sentence or two in Japanese.

"I have just asked to speak to the master of this school," Yori said to Kim.

"Do you have any idea who it is?" Kim whispered.

"I do not know," Yori whispered back, "I was not aware of any historical records kept of the previous masters of Yamanuchi."

One of the group had run off, presumably in search of the school master.

More students began to appear, curious about the newcomers. One of them pointed at Kim and spoke to Yori.

"They wish to know who you are and where you come from," Yori whispered to Kim.

"Tell them we've come to speak to the master of the school, and all questions will be answered at that time," Kim whispered back, "I hope."

Yori relayed the message to the group.

"I do not think-" Yori began then cut herself off with a gasp.

From among the crowd stepped a familiar elderly man.

"Sensei?" Kim asked, confused.

* * *

"He sounds fascinating," TJ observed.

"He was my mentor," Ron replied thoughtfully, "Most of my advanced training came from him. Did I never tell you about him either? I mean, didn't I send you to Yamanuchi to train?"

"Oh, you told me a lot about him when I was young," TJ replied, "But I didn't attend this Yamanuchi school, my training came from you."

"Huh," Ron replied, "Was I a good teacher at least?"

"I liked you better than Mom," TJ said with a grin, "She had a little less patience than you did."

Kimono snorted, "That's an understatement. You know for awhile I began to think she actually hated me? But you, you never once lost your temper or got frustrated with us."

"Yeah, well, Kim's got the fiery personality," Ron half agreed, "Part of the reason I fell in love with her."

"When _did_ you fall in love with her?" Kimono asked.

"I believe it was our first semester of Kindergarten." Ron said with a grin, "We spent preschool just taking it slow and getting to know each other. But after that I pretty much knew we'd end up together."

"Yeah, nice try," TJ cracked, "But we heard all those stories. Josh Mankey, and the Syntho-drone Mom almost kissed, and how jealous you were of Eric, and how jealous Mom was of Yori. How you almost broke up in college because Mom started to have doubts and got a crush on this one guy-"

"OK," Ron protested, "OK, so maybe it wasn't exactly a fairy tale. Still, we ended up together."

"Well obviously," TJ observed, "I'm sitting here, aren't I?"

"It's go time, boys," Kimono called back from the pilot's seat.

The Ninjet began to descend toward the ocean. It was still dark, though the first hints of sunrise were beginning to show on the horizon.

Ron and TJ unhooked their safety restraints and TJ led his father through a tight crawl space to the rear of the aircraft.

Once back there Ron crawled up onto a slightly raised platform and, staying on his stomach, inched forward into a harness that was waiting for him. TJ began strapping him in while Ron adjusted his position.

It was called the Ninja Star. It was, in essence, a personal glider. It was basically one large wing that spanned about ten feet when fully extended. There was no fuselage, but rather a small one-man harness that extended back from the center of the wing. The pilot – Ron in this case – lay on his stomach with his head tucked into a protective canopy that formed the center-forward part of the wing. There were controls for a short burst from the hydrojets that would allow the craft to ascend rapidly and then glide to its final destination. It was not designed to land, however, but rather to be discarded in favor of a skydive descent and recovered later.

When all the harness bindings were securely in place, TJ gave him a thumbs up and patted him on the back.

"Good luck, Dad," He said.

Ron slipped on his mask.

"Can you hear me?" Kimono's voice said in his ear.

"Loud and clear, KD," Ron replied.

"Get ready to deploy. We'll maintain radio silence until you call for us," She informed him, "Good luck, Dad."

"Yeah," Ron acknowledged, "To all of us."

The roof above him slid open. Ron tensed up, readying himself for the shock of what was to come.

The Ninjet suddenly went into a steep climb.

"On my mark," Came Kimono's voice in his ear.

The Ninja Star was raised upward and came to a stop flush with the top of the fuselage.

"3… 2… 1… Mark!"

The Ninjet abruptly leveled out as the glider disconnected from the larger aircraft. The thrusters on the Star fired, hauling Ron upward at an alarming rate of speed and a very steep climb. Ron felt his body straining against the harness and worried it might actually break.

After a twenty second burst, Ron pulled a release and slid backwards off the harness while the Ninja Star automatically leveled off and began a slow, circular descent. Ron tucked his arms at his sides, and straightened his legs out behind him. It was a bit unnerving skydiving in the deep twilight of predawn. He looked at the wrist-mounted GPS display and tried to gage where the island might be. But all he could see was-

"WHOA!" Ron let out a gasp as he shot into a cloud.

When he emerged from the underside, he looked a little to his left and noted some fixed light emplacements on a mass slightly darker than the ocean surface. He angled his body and let air and gravity do the rest.

* * *

"Unidentified aircraft. You are approaching restricted airspace. You are strongly advised to alter your course. This will be your only warning." The voice sounded stern, but a little sleepy.

"Island approach," Kimono responded, "This is Aerodyne Corporation flight number J-2131. We are conducting tests on an experimental aircraft in this vicinity. We were not aware there was an airfield on that island, over."

"Negative on approach," The voice answered in a surly tone, "There is no airfield here. We are a monitoring station only. Alter your course or you will be fired upon."

Kimono had made best speed around to the far side of the island, then switched off the stealth equipment, thus making the Ninjet visible to radar and other detection apparatus. Ariel had discovered several complaints in the FAA database that detailed incidents in which aircraft had gotten too close to the island and were warned away on threat of hostile anti-air fire.

Team Ronin was hoping another such incident might be treated as routine by those on the ground.

"Copy that," Kimono acknowledged, "We are altering course now. However, our experimental aircraft is currently in your airspace on a descent toward the island. We are requesting permission to recover the vehicle, over."

"Negative, Aerodyne," The voice snapped, "If your vehicle is in our airspace then it just became our property. Do not approach under any circumstances."

"Be advised," Kimono hoped she sounded terse, "Our vehicle is equipped with self-destruct capability. If we are not allowed to recover, we will engage this option, over."

"Tell you what, Aerodyne," The voice jeered, "We'll save you the trouble."

"They have locked on to the Star and are deploying an anti-air missile." Rufus stated, then paused a few seconds, "The Star has been destroyed."

"Island, be advised we will be registering a complaint with the FAA over this matter. Destroying that craft was wholly unnecessary, over." Kimono once again adopted a terse tone of voice.

"Complain all you want." The voice mocked, "As long as you go away."

Kimono shut off communication and piloted the Ninjet away from the island. When she felt she had covered sufficient distance, she re-engaged the stealth equipment and brought the Ninjet up to high altitude to wait for Ron's signal.

* * *

Ron watched from his hiding place near the rocks as the missile streaked off into the air. Every head on the island turned skyward to watch the fireworks. Ron took the opportunity to position himself as close to the front lawn of the house as he could. If Ariel was right, the heat and motion sensors had just gone off line for the day.

The island was crawling with guards, but it was yet still too dark for the one security camera that was trained on the lawn to see anything on the outer edges of the grass.

He had to move now. The sun would be up soon, and extra guards would be in place after the incident with the Ninja Star. A patrol walked by just in front of him, and Ron snuck out behind them, moving toward the lawn as silent as the breeze itself. Once on the outer edge of the grass, Ron lay down on his belly and flattened himself as much as he could.

Then he began to wait.

The house was secure even during the day. One guard had a station with monitors in a kiosk just outside the front door, which seemed odd to Ron since there was no perimeter fence on the island. Walking through the front door was not an option. Neither was sneaking into one of the windows. All the window screens had been wired to set off an alarm if removed.

However, there was one window that had neither a screen, nor a security alarm attached to it. The bathroom window facing the front lawn. There was a camera mounted on the roof that covered the lawn, but if someone could get up under the eave of the house, then the camera could no longer see them. The problem was getting across the lawn itself.

Ron drew in a breath and held it as a security patrol walked by. As expected, they were charged with patrolling the edge of the bluff and only looked outward toward the ocean. They walked right near the edge of the lawn, muttering quietly to each other, but never once looked toward the house, or especially the grass. Why should they? That's what the security camera was there for.

They probably would have been surprised to see a ninja lying in the grass less than ten feet from them. But in order to see him, they would have had to practically walk right over him.

Time went on, the sun came up and Ron found he had perfectly positioned himself in the shadow of the lone tree that stood in the center of the grass. It was a rather dense, leafy sort of tree, and while it did not shut out the sunlight completely, it did allow light through at certain places that drew the eye away from the shadow. Ron, of course, kept to the shadow.

It was shown in Ariel's time-lapse recording that the shadow of the tree began at the outer edge of the lawn in the morning, and traveled across the grass to come to rest against the wall of the house in the afternoon. It would be up to Ron to ever so slowly make his way across the grass, using the best of his ninja camouflage abilities, and one huge dose of patience.

His muscles already aching, he shifted his position with the speed of a minute-hand on a clock, keeping always within the shadow of the tree.

And so began Ron Stoppable's long, tortuous journey across the front lawn of Ray Beam's house.

* * *

Kim stood with her hands covering her face in a defensive posture, expecting the swords to tear right through her any second. It happened so fast she didn't even have time to utter her customary startled yelp.

Sensei and Yori had exchanged a few words out on the school grounds after which Sensei bade them follow him to his quarters. The students had been ordered back to their training, but most were too curious to pay any heed to their instructors. They stared at the odd little procession marching through the grounds of Yamanuchi. Their master, the beautiful young Japanese woman who had an otherworldly quality about her, and the strange-looking fair-skinned woman with hair like the cherry trees in autumn.

The second Kim stepped into the tiny room, two short swords ripped through the rice paper wall opposite and flew directly at her. Startled, Kim squeezed her eyes shut and held up her hands.

Nothing.

Kim slowly opened her eyes to find the hilts of the swords hovering in the air, resting against her palms. Slowly, reflexively, Kim's fingers closed around the hilts and the swords suddenly took on weight as they ceased their hovering.

Both Sensei and Yori were staring at her in amazement.

Sensei asked Yori a question to which Yori replied. Then Sensei asked her another question and nodded in Kim's direction.

"Sensei wishes to know how you acquired the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah." Yori relayed the question.

"Mystical monkey power?" Kim responded, "I didn't acquire it. Ron has it, I've never been exposed."

Kim stood patiently by, gazing at the two short swords in her hands. She felt she should put them down, but did not want to.

"Sensei says the only way to exert such control over the Ohana Blades is to be in possession of the mystical monkey power. Are you sure you were not exposed at some point?" Yori relayed the question.

"I couldn't have been," Kim said pointedly, "Ron said the monkey statues that contained the power were destroyed right after he was exposed. Only he and Monkey Fist have ever been exposed to it."

Yori and Sensei exchanged more words. Kim gazed intently at Sensei when suddenly a realization came to her. It was as if a multitude of facts had been pulled out of both her recent and long term memory and pieced together as she watched with her mind's eye.

"Yori," she whispered, interrupting their exchange, "Ask him if he is the founder of this school."

Yori hesitated, then relayed the question. Sensei's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he turned his gaze to Kim.

"Hai," He said directly to her.

_Yes._

Kim nodded, "Tell him I may have the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah because my husband has it."

Again, Yori hesitated but relayed the question. Sensei nodded several times, and spoke a few things to Yori, then awaited translation.

"Sensei says if your husband has this power, then very likely you acquired it the moment you…shall we say…'bonded' with him. It has long been believed that Tai Xing Pek Wah could be passed to a mate, or an offspring. Ron-san still has it, but you also, by extension, possess the power of Monkey Kung Fu." Yori explained.

"So it's like an STP." Kim quipped.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing. Please continue."

"Sensei also says the power of those," and here Yori indicated the swords Kim was holding, "Are already beginning to have an effect on you. He says these are the 'Mokuren' or Magnolia Blades. Their power enhances the knowledge and perception of whoever is in possession of them."

Kim nodded as if already expecting this answer.

"I was not aware of any mystical Blades other then the Lotus." Kim said to Yori

"Neither was I," Yori answered. She exchanged a few more words with Sensei.

"Sensei says the Magnolia Blades have chosen you to be their bearer. You are to keep them safe until they decide they no longer need you." Yori explained.

Kim nodded

"Ask him what he knows of Monkey Fist." Kim said, "And if he knows of him, tell Sensei we have come to take him back to our own time."

Yori and Sensei held a conversation for quite a few minutes.

"He says the one you call Monkey Fist is leading an army of various forms of mystical simians across southern Japan, and is accompanied by a Lord Ishigawa, who himself has an army of well over a hundred thousand." Yori relayed. "He believes they are coming here to take possession of the Ohana Blades, and will set out to conquer the rest of Japan after that."

"Ask him if he knows about the Tempus Simia idol."

Again, more exchanged words.

"Yes," Yori confirmed, "He has heard that Monkey Fist carries it with him always, and that it is the source of his power over the mystical simian army. He says that if you take the Magnolia Blades far from here, and hide them from Monkey Fist and Ishigawa, then they will never have all the Blades together, and thus never possess their true power."

"I can't do that," Kim said shaking her head, "I came here to stop Monkey Fist. Tell Sensei to send some of his students with the other blades into the North. Tell them to go into hiding. This way the Blades will remain apart."

"I will ask him, Stoppable-san," Yori acknowledged, "But he will-"

"No," Kim said forcefully, "No 'buts'. I'm here for Monkey Fist. I will carry the Magnolia Blades with me if he wants me to, but I can't go into hiding."

Yori traded more words with Sensei, then turned back to Kim.

"Sensei reluctantly agrees."

* * *

Again, Veronica found herself huddled in the far corner of the closet, listening to that song over and over. She was getting ready to take her afternoon walk out to the bluff.

Would today be the day?

Would she finally find the courage to hurl herself into the ocean and free herself from Ray Beam?

Veronica Stoppable had spent seven years in an oppressive, abusive relationship with the man who revealed himself as her father's killer. She had no friends, no family to talk to, and absolutely no perspective of the outside world. Veronica had done harder time than Ray ever had in his twenty years in prison.

It is an odd sort of perversion that people who genuinely wish to take their own lives become so obsessed with the idea they actually begin to hope for the courage to go through with it.

To Veronica, this was the only way out that didn't involve the death of her mother. Something that – despite the fact that Ray would be the one pulling the trigger – would be entirely Veronica's responsibility.

Veronica fervently hoped she would have the courage and strength to take that last step, the one that would send her plummeting into sweet oblivion.

Maybe today was the day.

Maybe.

* * *

Ron, in the meantime, was not having much fun crossing his son-in-law's front yard.

As the sun began to make its way across the morning sky, Ron would ever so slowly shift positions to keep himself in the shadow of the tree. Now you may think that only a child would fail to see a man lying on the grass in the middle of the day, even if he was in the shade. But part of Ron's ninja training was how to become virtually invisible, to blend in with the shadows, even on – as was the case – a bright, sunny day. The security camera automatically adjusted for daylight, thus making shadows darker than they actually were. And the patrols, as we established, only looked outward toward the shore.

Ron always kept himself in the darkest part of the shadow of the tree, sliding along on his belly, as flat as he could make himself on the grass. It was tedious, tortuous work, having to cross the space of about twenty feet in the course of about eight hours.

From Ron's point of view, the world was bright and he was a large neon sign that read "Ninja Hiding Here", and it would only be a matter of time before someone happened to look exactly in the right spot and see him.

The day progressed, growing warmer. Ron was past the halfway point, and began to relax a little. He was inching his way toward the wall, after which it was a matter of finding Ray and going from there. Although his first priority would be to make sure Veronica was safe. Ron permitted himself the luxury of looking at the time piece on his wrist pad. It was getting close to the same time that Veronica had walked out to the bluff the day before.

_Hang on Ronnie, _He thought grimly,_ Just hang on._

Then Ron heard an odd, snuffling sort of noise. It took him a minute to figure out that a dog had come nosing around the front yard. Ariel never said anything about a dog. With the barest of movements, Ron turned his head toward the front door and watched in horror as the animal made its way straight toward him.

A ninja could mask his movement, but not his odor.

Then Ron's blood ran cold as a familiar figure stepped out into the day some thirty feet away from him. He was much older, of course, but Ron instantly recognized the face of Ray Beam.

The dog had reached Ron and was sniffing around him. The animal seemed confused as to why this human-smelling lump in the yard did not move.

Then Ron's cold-running blood froze outright as Ray put his hands on his hips, glared right at him, and bellowed:

"STOPPABLE!"


	16. XV

Author's lengthy notes: This chapter got so long I had to split it in twain. Which means, chapter XVI is actually the final chapter of act two and the last one before UNION takes a month off. I found myself writing slowly this week because 1) I had too much fun writing it and 2) I didn't want to stop when it was done. But reality calls, and I've got too much to do.

Shameless plug: In this chapter, I once again reference a romance Ron had in high school with one Violet Parr of 'The Incredibles'. This is the story I intend to write once I finish UNION (which will probably be September at the earliest), and it is a spin-off in the 'REUNION' universe. It's called 'Shades Of Violet' (Don't worry, I won't be using all caps in the title) Basically, TJ and Kimono are at a rocky point in their friendship and one snowy day, Ron and Kim tell these two about what happened between them when Ron began side-kicking for someone else; or so Kim thought at the time. Anyway, that's coming soon.

Thanks so much to all who are reading. The hits counter will achieve the five thousand mark with this chapter and I'm totally blown away by that.

Mucho especial Gracias to: Jokerisdaking, Jezrianna2.0, JPMod, Widow Shark, Spooks-a-lot, Storms Eye, Pseudojuliet, Kimberly Ann Possible, SestrenNK, MrDrP, Dreammergurl2007, aimtbj, ron-sama, kpultimatefan, kemiztri, Recon228, Mobius97, LKillingsworth, Megan, Kari, Willk1989, and Visigoth29527.

Props to Recon228 for guessing the cliffhanger outcome. I know it's cheesy, but I wanted to do at least one psyche-out cliffie in this story…

All songs contained in this fic are copyrighted to Curbtunes Music, are performed by the band 'Plumb' and are found on their album 'Beautiful Lumps Of Coal'. I am not publishing said lyrics for any sort of profit, but rather as an element to this work of fiction.

Warning: Melodrama abounds (he said unapolagetically).

* * *

XV.

* * *

"GET OVER HERE!"

Ron's heart raced, while his mind tried to comprehend how Ray had managed to recognize him. Then it occurred to him that Ray must be assuming it's TJ. He measured off the distance between him and Ray and figured he could cover the ground in about three seconds. The cameras would see him, of course, but by that time he'd have a hostage.

"I SAID COME HERE!" Ray bellowed again, hands on his hips.

Ron twitched, about to get up when he heard a whimper nearby and remembered the dog. The animal crouched timidly to its belly and began slinking back toward its master.

"You better not have messed up that lawn," Ray growled as the dog came near him, "You can do your business anywhere on this island, but for some reason you like to dirty up my lawn!"

Ron's mind was blank, uncomprehending.

When the dog got to Ray, it huddled near him, its head low, timid eyes looking up at its master. The tail wagged feebly, as if to offer up some pathetic apology.

Ray drew his foot back, the dog recoiled and whimpered, knowing what was about to come.

Then Ray seemed to change his mind and instead issued an order, "Go lay down, Stoppable, you stupid mutt. Go lay down!"

The dog slunk away.

Ron stared as Ray walked off toward the hill about a hundred yards in the distance.

Ron buried his face in the grass and tried to stifle the laughter. Of course, everyone knows the last thing you should do when you feel like laughing is try to stifle it. He was probably in more danger at that point than he had been his entire time on the island. His body shook and twitched as he laughed while trying not to.

'_Stoppable'_?

How pathetic was this guy?

After all Ray had done, all the vengeance he'd manage to wreak on the Stoppable family, was he so obsessed that he needed a dog with the same name to take his abuse? Did that actually make him feel better?

Soon the laughter subsided and Ron regained some composure. He realized his right foot was sitting out in the sun and slowly withdrew it. Then he looked up. Soon he'd reach the wall, and hopefully, Veronica.

* * *

It took the better part of two days to fully explain everything to Sensei. Kim was surprised to find how slow relaying information through a translator actually was. It was somewhat frustrating for Yori as well, for though she was fluent in her native Japanese language, it was a slightly different dialect. Fifteen hundred years was plenty of time for a language to evolve.

Fortunately for Kim and Yori, Sensei simply accepted what they told him as the truth. After all, he was an immortal in possession of swords with mysterious powers. Time travel actually seemed to be a relatively tame concept to him.

But the more Kim thought about it, the more she came to believe that this mysterious room high up on the cliff face had not brought them back in time. Oh, certainly they were in ancient Japan, but Kim believed they had not stepped out of the time stream to get here. Rather, whatever powers this room contained, it was more like a sort of stasis chamber; the dark and light flashes being the movement of the sun around the earth, but in rapid time. Or, to be more precise, she and Yori had, in essence, "slowed down" while time moved normally, albeit backwards.

Sensei was not necessarily pleased with Kim's decision, but was willing to accept it on Kim's further suggestion that the rest of the Blades be taken somewhere presumably safe; somewhere Ishigawa and Monkey Fist might not know about.

Monkey Fist's whereabouts weren't entirely clear to anyone. What little news that did reach the school was mostly tales of scary monkey soldiers and Ishigawa's wrath. Location was not a high priority in the rumor mill.

It was decided that one of Sensei's students, a young man by the name of Kintaro, would lead a small group with the remaining Ohana Blades north to the home of his father Hidesato, the lord of the Mutsu Province. Mutsu was one of the largest provinces on the Japanese mainland, but it was also the most sparsely populated; full of rugged, almost inhospitable terrain. Hidesato himself was an honorable man, and a former student of Sensei's.

His province was home to the legendary Zuijen warriors; archers so fierce and deadly they were feared by any foe who opposed them. Mutsu also fielded a standing army of about thirty thousand regular warriors, but what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in uncompromising ferocity. Hidesato, his warriors, and his province were loyal to the Emperor and already he was preparing his army to march against Ishigawa.

His son Kintaro, by contrast, was almost everything his father wasn't. Where Hidesato was a grave, noble warrior, Kintaro was an easy-going, always smiling – almost buffoonish – ninja. Hidesato loved his son, but had sent him to Yamanuchi in the hopes Sensei would be able to instill a serious outlook on the boy's life. It didn't take. Kintaro was an incurable optimist with an always ready smile. He was a mild embarrassment to his father, and no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he pretended to be serious about life, he always felt he was unable to please Hidesato.

For all the things Kintaro was, he was not stupid. He had formidable skill in the ways of Ninjitsu and had his father's sense of honor. If Sensei charged him with the protection of the Blades, then he would gladly die defending them.

Kim liked him right away. Yori felt he was a little on the immature side.

They would all journey together to the valley floor below before splitting up. Then Kintaro would lead his little band north. Kim asked Yori what she wished to do.

"I do not understand the question, Stoppable-san." Yori replied.

"I'm asking if you will be coming with me, or going with Kintaro to his father's province." Kim said pointedly.

"Sensei sent me to accompany you," Yori replied, "I intend to fulfill my duty."

Kim was relieved, "Glad to hear it. Once we reach the valley, the first thing we'll do is find a town or village and ask for news of Monkey Fist's whereabouts."

Yori merely nodded.

"You don't think we should be doing this, do you?" Kim guessed what Yori was thinking.

"Sensei does not think this is the correct course of action for us to take. And since I have known him all my life, I trust his judgment completely." Yori replied evenly.

"Fair enough," Kim acknowledged, "And I don't question his judgment either. But the longer Monkey Fist remains in possession of the Tempus Simia, the more likely the time stream will collapse. I believe getting to him is our highest priority."

"As I said," Yori said by way of agreement, "I will fulfill my duty to the Sensei of our time period."

"So did you have any idea he was immortal?" Kim asked.

"No, I did not." Yori said with some gravity, "To learn that he and Toshimiru are one and the same is indeed a great shock to me."

"Me too. Is he going to be coming with us?"

Yori shook her head.

While Kim and Kintaro sought to fulfill their tasks, Sensei would remain at the school. If he left, Ishigawa would put all his efforts into finding Sensei and stood a chance to capture him with the Blades. But if he stayed, he might be able to stall Ishigawa until Kintaro reached the Mutsu province and safely hid the remaining Blades.

They spent the remainder of the second day getting provisions ready for the journey. Each of the Ohana Blades was individually wrapped in cloth and slung to a student's back. Kim felt a twinge as she recognized the very Lotus Blade her husband had once carried as Ronin. And now Kim had her own Blades. She so wished Ron was there to share all this with her. As much as there was to worry about in the immediacy, Kim couldn't go ten minutes without feeling the ache of her husband's absence.

For the second straight night, Yori and Kim shared quarters.

Kim lay awake, staring into the dark. She thought about the task ahead of her, and of her husband. She didn't just hope he was OK, she _willed_ him to be.

"Do you miss him, Stoppable-san?" Yori whispered from the darkness.

"More than I thought possible," Kim said, unaware of the pun.

"I am sure he is safe, and you will save him." Yori continued.

Silence for a few seconds. Then Kim told Yori about all that had happened; Ron's time in the Roman simulation, the fact that it had all been a ruse to delay them while Monkey Fist pulled the timeline together and caused its collapse. She even told Yori how Wade believed the continuum was already falling apart. She then reiterated her hopes that they could capture Monkey Fist and the Tempus Simia and use it to prevent Fist from traveling through time, and perhaps prevent what ultimately happened to Ron.

"It is my hope that we can accomplish this as well," Yori said with an odd twinge of emotion in her voice.

Silence again.

"You still love him, don't you?" Kim couldn't help asking.

"I…" Yori began, then hesitated, "It would not be proper to say."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Ron told me about your time together at Yamanuchi."

"Do not worry," Yori's whisper seemed troubled, "I am sure you have caused him to forget all about me."

"If so," Kim answered, "Then it wasn't on purpose."

"I know this."

"But I'm curious about something, Yori, why didn't you ever-"

"Please, Stoppable-san," Yori cut her off, "I am not comfortable discussing this."

"All right," Kim relented and turned over on her side, her back to Yori, "I'm sorry if I pried."

"You are his wife," Yori acknowledged, "Perhaps you have a right to know such things."

"No," Kim countered, "They're your private feelings. I shouldn't have asked."

Yori chuckled lightly, "It is, as you would say, 'No large.'."

Kim giggled and turned over to face Yori, "Actually, it's 'no big', but I'll accept that as well."

Both women shared a quiet laugh before falling into silence. Yori turned on her side to face Kim.

"Do not worry, Stoppable-san," She whispered, "I have expressed my disagreement with your plan, but I will carry it out as though it were my own. I believe we will prevail."

"Booyah." Kim agreed softly.

Soon they were both asleep.

In the morning, Sensei wished them all good fortune and they set off on the four hour hike down the mountain. Kintaro led the way, with Kim and Yori walking behind him while the three students who carried the remaining Blades followed after.

Kim had slung the scabbard of the Magnolia Blades through her vest with a leather strap and they rested against her back in an 'X' formation. She carried her spare set of clothing bundled and slung over one shoulder.

Kintaro tried to engage Yori in conversation as they walked, but Yori seemed somewhat standoffish. Eventually the young warrior gave up.

"What's wrong?" Kim asked after a time.

"He seems to have taken an interest in me." Yori said plainly.

"So what's wrong with that? He's cute, and he seems really nice."

"He is both of these things," Yori acknowledged, "But I do not think I was sent here for the purpose of dating ancient Japanese Ninjas."

Kim snorted, "So? That doesn't mean you can't talk. What's the harm in just getting to know him?"

Yori sighed. "You Americans… the universe may be on the brink of destruction, and yet flirting seems to remain a high priority."

"Hey," Kim said seriously, "You and I are going after a villain who, by all accounts, is surrounded by more then a hundred and fifty thousand warriors, not to mention some scary monkey things. But that's not going to happen today. Since tomorrow – or some day soon after it – promises to be filled with life-threatening and seemingly impossible tasks, you might as well spend today living a little. I mean, if he proposes you can always let him down gently."

Yori managed a half-smile.

They walked for a time.

After a little while, Kim smiled to herself as Yori hesitantly struck up a conversation with Kintaro.

Later on, still an hour away from reaching the valley floor, they stopped at a stream that flowed from a good-sized pond to cool themselves from the increasing heat of the day. Kim and the others all knelt down and splashed their necks and faces, and took long drinks. Kim was surprised at how good the water tasted, but then she concluded it was likely due to the relatively pollution-free environment of the ancient world. They spent a half hour resting, then got ready to move on again.

Suddenly they were all startled by a deep, pulsating rumble that seemed to come from the woods on the slope above them. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the noise, unsure of what they had just heard. Just as quickly as it came up, the rumble subsided.

Kim was just about the ask Yori if she had any idea what it was when they heard shouting from the downhill side behind them. Kintaro barked something to the rest of them and the students all began to retreat back up the mountain.

"What is it?" Kim asked Yori.

"Kintaro-san believes it is a scout party from Ishigawa's army." Yori said hurriedly, "It seems they are closer than any of us thought."

Kim turned to see about twenty warriors rushing at them. Unsure what to do, she turned and readied to follow the others up the slope when she saw Kintaro square himself in a combat-ready stance. He was going to buy time for the Blades to get away.

Then, cries on the slope above them. The students had turned and were rushing back to their original position. Ten more soldiers were in pursuit. Kim realized they had probably gotten here much earlier and – while she and the others were refreshing themselves – took up positions to cut off their retreat.

The twenty below spread out in a large semi-circle. The pond was to their backs.

They were completely cut off.

Kim drew her Magnolia Blades. She didn't have much prowess fighting with swords, but she hoped the Blades would teach her as she went along… _if_ they worked the way Sensei said they worked, that is. Yori took out her fan blades and made ready for the impending attack. Kintaro ordered the students to leave the other Blades in their bundles. It looked as though the Ohana Blades would be captured before they were even taken from the slopes of Yamanuchi.

The semi-circle tightened. Twenty became thirty as the soldiers on the upward slope joined their comrades. Slowly they advanced.

Kim took a hard look at the soldiers nearest her. They all carried medium length swords that resembled Katanas but were straight, instead of slightly curved as is characteristic of a Samurai sword. A strange feeling came over her. She seemed to sense their weak spots and vulnerabilities. Already she could see several points where a quick thrust of the blade would drop an enemy instantly.

Her heart raced. Next to her, Yori uttered several sharp cries and swung her fan blades about her in a showy manner. It was an attempt to psyche out the enemy. Some of them actually did hesitate for an instant.

"Stoppable-san". Yori said hurriedly, "I know you prefer to use non-lethal methods of combat, but I do not think we have that luxury today."

" I hear you," Kim acknowledged. A sick feeling began to creep over her. Up to now, Kim had been going through the motions of a hero with a mission to accomplish. But the reality of what it would take to achieve that accomplishment began to sink in. This wasn't a simple apprehension of a villain with delusions of conquering the world. This was a literal life-or-death struggle against the forces of evil. And those forces wouldn't be hanging her over a pit of electric eels, or dropping her into a tank with a shark and a giant squid. They would plunge a sword into her the first opportunity they had and be done with it.

There was a commotion to her right, from the uphill side. Several of the enemy seemed to be engaged in combat but it wasn't with any of their group. Kim kept a wary eye on the soldiers closest to her but kept stealing glances over at the ruckus. After a minute or two, several enemy soldiers were felled as three ninjas clad in black broke through the line and came running to them. They each took up combat stances near Kim, Yori, and Kintaro, facing the enemy troops.

_Sensei sent backup,_ Kim thought, but had no time to dwell on this.

With a shout, the enemy charged.

The first battle in the War of the Tempus Simia had begun.

* * *

It is interesting how clothes, a uniform, or a costume can affect one's behavior. You may know someone who is a police officer, or a soldier in the military, and while they are at home, in their normal, everyday clothes, they seem much like you and me. However, when it comes time to perform their duties, and don their uniforms, you may also notice that a change comes over their very personality. They become serious, professional, capable of actions you or I might never have thought them capable of. Oddly enough, in some instances there even seems to a change in their very thought patterns. Outside of the uniform, they can be absent-minded, relaxed, etc. But again, when the uniform comes on, their absent-minded qualities can vanish, their relaxed attitudes replaced with an alert mentality.

Such was the case with Ron Stoppable. When he was just normal, everyday Ron, he could be goofy, jovial, even buffoonish. But as Ronin, his training kicked in when the uniform came on. Kim was often surprised at Ron's capabilities in his ninja persona; not just in terms of personal combat, but in the disciplined, alertness of his mind, and actions when buffoonery was not an affordable luxury.

Ron Stoppable probably never would have been able to infiltrate the Ray Beam compound, but Ronin certainly was capable. More than capable, in fact, as the lone guard in the kiosk just outside the front door suddenly discovered when he was hauled from his perch on the stool and brought crashing to the ground by the shadow that had risen up before him.

Dazed, he found himself powerless against the arms that shoved his face into the wall of the kiosk below the banks of monitors and out of sight from any outside eyes for the moment.

"Shut down the air defense systems," A voice growled in his ear.

"You can't possibly- AAAHH!" The guard cried out in pain. The little finger on his left hand had been broken.

"I don't have time for interrogations," The shadow seethed, "Your neck will snap just as easily. Now, the air defense systems."

"I…can't." the guard said through clenched teeth, "The controls for the anti-air systems are in the security center."

"Which is where?"

"The underground bunker."

"You mean beneath the hill just north of here?"

"Yes."

Ron looked at his time piece, then around the kiosk. Taped to one wall was a photocopy of a satellite image of the island. Written in a column were various numbered codes and the definitions of their meanings. Most of them were emergency alerts and indicated various stages of alertness. Near the bottom of the column, one particular line caught Ron's interest. It read:

'Black. Threat Level: Highest. Definition: Full scale land invasion, no detectable air support. Response: All personnel are to proceed to the coordinates indicated by the Captain of the Watch fully armed and take up defensive positions. Underground bunker and Beam's private residence to be locked down. Guards in the residential kiosk and the control center remain at their posts, all others will respond.'

Ron pulled the guard's face away from the wall, and held it close to the photocopied image.

"If you issue a Code Black emergency to this location," He growled, pointing at the extreme northern end of the island; a location on the other side of the hill, "All guards will have to respond to that area, correct?"

"Yes," The guard confirmed.

"Do it."

"They'll ask me for confirmation," The guard hesitated.

Ron knocked the guard's head against the wall to make a point, "So find a way to give it to them."

The guard thought a moment, then reached for his communication device.

Ron tightened his grip on the man's neck, "If they don't buy this, you don't get to live."

The guard let out a frightened sigh, then pressed a button, "Code Black! Code Black! This is not a drill! Coordinates: Grid 144. Repeat, Grid 144. Code Black!"

Alarms began blaring, someone responded to the call, "Situation Report!"

"Sir," The guard replied, "A large metallic mass has been spotted submerged in the water just north of Grid 144."

"I'm not getting anything on sonar."

"Could be a sub with stealth capabilities, sir. It's very close to the shoreline, we could be experiencing an invasion."

"Acknowledged." Then the communicator fell silent.

Ron shoved the guard against his stool, "Sit up there and act like it's a Code Black emergency."

The guard, in some pain due to his finger, climbed fearfully back up onto his stool and tried to appear calm. Ron peeked his head up just enough to see what was happening outside the kiosk.

Henchmen were pouring out of an entrance in the hill and heading up over it, away from the house. Several guards rushed by the kiosk, arming their weapons. Once they were safely away, Ron knocked out the guard and shoved him up under the banks monitors. Then he moved off in search of his daughter.

* * *

She heard the alarms, and made her mind resolute.

Now was the time.

Whatever was happening, it was well away from the house, and Ray would be occupied with it. And when he returned, he would find himself a widower.

Veronica Stoppable was at last filled with an odd, eerie sense of peace. She dressed herself in a white cotton gown, left her feet bare, and put her headphones on; the song was already playing.

This was how she would go out. When the song reached the lyrics: 'Maybe she could set if free', she would set _herself_ free; a white, angelic apparition drifting through the air to the waiting depths below.

She slipped quietly out the back door. The house was supposed to be locked down, but Ray had disabled that capability a long time ago after a false alarm kept him trapped inside his own home for three hours.

Both the sun and the grass felt warm as she made her way around the corner of the house to-

Someone was standing on the edge of the bluff.

And it wasn't Ray.

He stood with his back to her, gazing out to sea, looking like some sort of tourist ninja who had pulled over to admire the view, enticed by one of those freeway signs that read 'Vista Point'.

Veronica froze, unsure of what to do. Was she hallucinating?

She took the headphones off and let them hang around her neck. The song continued to play.

For reasons she never would be able to figure out, she took a few steps toward the dark-clad figure. He had his hands tucked behind his back, clutching a mask. His hair was blond, and he had very large ears that stuck outward almost abnormally.

"It really is beautiful," He said without turning around, "I can see why you come out here a lot."

Veronica's blood ran cold, then hot, and then it felt like both at once. She had just heard a voice that had not spoken to her in more then twelve years.

She _was_ hallucinating. This must have been an illusion conjured up by a mind that knew it was about to perish. Should she speak to it, or ignore it and go about what she planned to do?

"You don't have to do this," He said quietly turning to face her.

Veronica cringed and let out a frightened whimper. She found she was too afraid to even scream.

"Wow," the ninja said quietly, "You look even more like her in person."

Veronica stared blankly. This wasn't the face of the father she remembered. This was the face she had seen in photos when he and her mother would bring out the family albums on snowy winter days when the blizzards had gotten so bad they knocked the power out. Her father would boil water for hot cocoa over a camp stove and he and her mother would tell stories of their adventures together.

This couldn't possibly be him. It was a trick. A hallucination.

Or a ghost.

"Trust me," He said, reading the look in her eyes, "I'm real enough."

"How…?" Her mind would not believe it.

"Short version: Time travel mishap. I've been staying with your brother and Kimono…KD… for the last few days." He explained.

He was the only one who ever called Kimono that.

"When's my birthday?" She asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," the ninja said, shrugging his shoulders, "I came from a time before you were born."

Veronica simply stared at him.

The ninja looked around warily. Alarms continued, but sounded distant. There wasn't a guard in sight. He pulled a small piece of paper from his sleeve, and unfolded it. He held it up for her to see.

The only thing written on it was the date of her father's death.

"Wade gave me this the other day," He said quietly, "At first I thought it was simply to help me avoid getting killed, but now I think it was about something more. I'm guessing Ray was the one who killed me, right?

Veronica nodded numbly.

"I think Wade suspects if I manage to avoid my death, then other things could be avoided as well." The ninja implied. "I don't think he knew exactly what your situation was, and I'm betting he didn't ask either. Wade's always had a 'mind-your-own-business' attitude about life. Which is odd because he was always micro-chipping us and reading Kim's online diary."

Details only her father could know. Veronica began to believe.

"Look," He said, taking a step toward her, " I don't know if we'll even make it off this island. But if we do, I want you to come with me. Taking your own life is not the answer."

"How did you know…?"

"I saw the holo-mail you sent TJ, saw the look in your eyes. I tried to end my life once, before K-… before your mother and I got married," He answered softly, "I won't pretend to understand or relate to what you've gone through all these years. But it can change. You have a family that loves you. And no matter how much you may think this is all your fault, it isn't."

Veronica's breath caught in her throat. He had found the bitterness that had taken root in her soul and brought it out. It was almost physically painful.

"I…"

"It's not your fault." He repeated.

"But I-"

"It…is…not…your…fault," he said every word slowly, deliberately, pointedly.

The peace - which was really more of a dead calm - that Veronica felt earlier was obliterated in a sudden explosion of tears. She began to collapse. The ninja reached forward and caught her, holding her up in strong, safe arms.

"I'll make a deal with you," He put his lips next to her ear and whispered, "If we make it off this island alive, then you have to come with me. And I will make sure Ray never comes anywhere near you again. After all, if you were willing to end it all, then you _must _have the courage to fight for something better. Deep down, you have your mother's strength. I can feel it."

"I… I will go with you," She sobbed. Her voice was tinged with an edge of fear.

"Good then we can- What's that noise?" He looked around then pulled back from her a little, spying her headphones, and pointed. "Is that what I think it is?"

Veronica's tears dried up a little in astonishment.

"I used to have that album!" the ninja said excitedly, "I used to listen to it all the-… did Kim and I ever tell you about the summer between our Junior and Senior year in high school? I dated this girl, her name was Violet, and it turned out she had a secret superhero identity. Your mom was dating Josh Mankey at the time but she was still jealous. She thought I was playing sidekick to someone else. We didn't talk to each other for like a month! I used to listen to the song 'Boys Don't Cry' over and over, just because it depressed me. And later when-"

"Yes!" Veronica interrupted, "You told that story to TJ and Kimono and me once and when I asked you about the song, you gave me a copy of the album!…I… It _IS _you! Daddy! I… I don't know what to-"

And again, the tears came over her so powerfully, she couldn't talk. Ron drew her to him and put his arms tightly around his daughter. Once more he looked around warily. Their borrowed time would be ending soon.

"Look, why don't we-" he stopped, then seemed to think of something. He pointed at the headphones around her neck, "Do you have the whole album on there?"

"Yes," She sobbed, but quickly and instinctively began to dry her tears. Her father had adopted a business-like tone to his voice and years spent living with him told her what that meant.

It was time to go to work.

"I saw an entertainment system in the house," he went on, "Can you plug that thing into it?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm going to mess with my son-in-law's head, but I'll need you to cue it up to first track on the album. Can you do that?" He began walking toward the house, Veronica trailed after him.

"I can," she said doubtfully, "But…"

"But what?"

"Ray doesn't like music. In fact, he hates it." Veronica timidly informed her father.

Ron turned to look at her. He smiled broadly as he pulled on his mask, "That little piece of information just made my day."

* * *

Kim blocked her opponent's attacks, but had not yet managed to inflict any damage upon him. She had to concentrate hard on what she was doing, as all around her arose cries, shouts, screams, the clash of metal on metal, and other noises one usually hears in battle.

The enemy strategy was to engage them in one-on-one combat while the rest of the group kept the line formed and prevented anyone from escaping. Kim could hear Yori's shouts as she battled her opponent, but the ninja next to her remained mostly silent; only grunting occasionally as be blocked or punched.

Several times, the sword of Kim's opponent narrowly missed ending her life, once sailing so close to her head she felt the wind from it as it sliced through the air. Then after a few strokes, Kim began to perceive weaknesses in his fighting strategy, as well as vulnerable spots in which to exploit those weaknesses. Kim brought both blades up in front of her in an 'X' formation, blocking his incoming thrust. She slid one blade aside while holding her opponent's sword at bay with the other. Then she pushed the opponent's blade away while she brought her free sword up and buried it in the enemy's midsection.

The look of surprise on his face was morbidly comical as he glanced down in disbelief at the sword hilt protruding from his abdomen with a slender feminine hand wrapped around it.

Kim pushed him over backward while holding on to the blade and it withdrew from the body of the enemy soldier as he collapsed.

The ninja next to her had just overcome his opponent and turned his attention to her. His eyes locked on hers for a split second, then turned back to see another enemy soldier rushing in upon him.

Kim had no time to dwell on the horror of her circumstances and turned face her own opponent as he rushed her.

"Still with us, Yori?" She called out as the enemy soldier closed the gap between them.

"I continue to live, Stoppable-san." Yori called back, "I am glad you do as well."

Then Kim was set upon once more.

This time her opponent kept his maneuvers tight and focused. The jabs of his blade always fell within a specific area aimed at her upper torso. Kim was able to block them readily enough, but she sensed he was playing the odds; gambling that sooner or later one of his thrusts would get through. Kim tried to counter all his attacks but found herself playing defense more than she wanted to. After a minute or so, it occurred to her that his strengths were in shorter, tighter combat moves. Draw him out of both of these conditions and he might be defeated.

Kim decided to combine her sword fighting with a few weaponless fighting techniques. She took a quick step back, then leaped, spinning on a slight axis as though she were about to deliver a roundhouse kick. But she kept her legs together and instead extended her arms out as far as they could go. It was a foolhardy move that left her wide open, but it worked. Her opponent, unsure of what she was doing and unwilling to take a chance on a killing thrust, stepped back and held his sword in a defensive position. As Kim landed, she made a move as though she were about to thrust low with her left sword, while the other one remained behind her. Her opponent instinctively took the bait and brought his sword upon hers driving it harmlessly downward. In a flash, Kim brought the blade in her right hand around and upward, as far away from her opponent's sword as possible.

The enemy soldier took three frightened steps back, trying in vain to cover a mortal wound to his neck. He fell on his third step.

Kim looked up, then heard a surprised grunt beside her. The ninja had been overpowered by his opponent and was holding his arm up in a defensive posture. The enemy soldier raised his blade high above his head, then uttered a startled, frightened yelp as one of the Magnolia Blades buried itself in his side. He looked over to see Kim glaring at him, her arm extended, but standing more than ten feet away. The Magnolia Blades had helped her determine exactly how forceful a throw she needed to make, and precisely when to let go of the Blade. She ran over to retrieve the weapon from the collapsing soldier.

She looked over at the ninja, who looked back to her and simply nodded.

Kim had time to take a quick assessment of the situation and it did not look good. Yori had defeated three opponents and was working on a fourth, Kintaro was holding his own as well, but two of the students had gone down. The bundles they carried were snatched up and taken back to the line of enemy soldiers.

Kim had to turn her attention back to her onrushing opponent. This one charged wildly at her and raised his weapon, screaming as he came. She pretended to be frozen with fear, but at the last second, Kim stepped aside just barely avoiding her opponent and his weapon, and slashed his midsection with one of her blades. He went down and did not get up again.

The enemy continued its strategy of wearing down Kim and her companions through one-on-one combat. And with two of the students dead, they could concentrate greater numbers on the remaining fighters.

Kim was suddenly grateful she had been training over the last year, as she otherwise would have tired long before this point in the battle.

Yet another opponent came for her, but this one approached cautiously. He'd been studying her moves and decided to take a slow, deliberate approach. Kim felt she could already sense his weak spots.

She ran straight at him, noting with some satisfaction as his eyes went wide and his sword came up defensively. She hunched her shoulders and feigned an upward leap, then threw her head and right shoulder forward as she rolled in under his raised blade which immediately came slicing through the air toward her. She crossed her blades above her, blocking the incoming slash while simultaneously sweeping a leg through his. Down he went, but was instantly on his feet again before Kim could regain hers. This caught her by surprise. While she was able to sense his weaknesses, she was not able to predict her opponent's next move. She was sure her leg sweep would stun him long enough for her to finish him off.

Her enemy lunged, seemed to hesitate as though listening to something, then backed off.

Yori came running over to Kim and helped her to her feet. "Kintaro has ordered us to pair off so that we may force the enemy to change tactics."

Kim simply nodded. Yori faced off against Kim's opponent as Kim took a step back and quickly surveyed the situation. Kintaro paired up with the remaining student. The two ninjas on the far side were already battling enemies together, which left the ninja closest to her to fend for himself.

Kim rushed to help Yori and found she had already dispatched the soldier.

As expected, two opponents came at them this time. Again, they came slowly, cautiously, with deliberate strides. Kim noticed the enemy line had thinned in places. She realized this was due to two factors. The first was, of course, that at least half the enemy had already been killed. But the second was the fact that they had all paired off. This caused many of the enemy soldiers to cluster since their assigned targets were closer together. Because of this, there was no longer a solid line of enemy troops. It was a shrewd tactic on Kintaro's part. Escape now looked like a real possibility.

Then a cry went up from some of the enemy. One of their number was holding a sword aloft. Kim recognized it as the Lotus Blade.

But her thoughts were interrupted as the entirety of the enemy line charged at once. Having realized Kintaro's tactic, it was time for a final assault.

As the enemy rushed at them, Kim noticed abstractly that the ninja closest to her had advanced forward a couple of steps while staring at the raised sword. He seemed to hesitate, then held his hand up in the air.

There was a cry of pain as the Lotus Blade turned itself into a shield with razor sharp edges and flew from the enemy soldier's hands. The ninja lowered his hand to chest level, and the Lotus altered its path downward plowing through the enemy line. Four of them were felled by the hurtling shield with the sharpened edges. Just before it got to the ninja, it turned back into a Katana and he snatched it out of the air.

_Sensei didn't just send backup,_ Kim thought, _he came himself!_

Then she and Yori were suddenly fighting for their lives.

* * *

Ray was furious, which meant this was a typical day for him. He'd just spent the last five minutes shouting at the guard captain in the bunker control center, demanding he be let out. It was yet another false alarm. Ray could feel it. Something didn't sit quite right about the alert. Ray always thought Code Black, among others, was a stupid response to a potential land invasion. A well-placed decoy could draw every available guard to a concentrated part of the island while the real invasion took place at another spot. His criticisms fell on deaf ears, of course. They had a set procedure for doing things, procedures Mr. Beam needn't worry about. They might take some of his orders, but they weren't required to take all of them.

Ray strode angrily to the guard's kiosk and halted just before he got there. The guard was not at his post. Peering cautiously inside, he saw the guard slumped in a heap on the floor of the tiny building. The rest of the henchmen were still positioned on the far side of the island, waiting for a release authorization code. The communication device the guard used was smashed. Ray looked around warily but could see nothing amiss. The front door of the house was closed.

Having no communicator on him, Ray was compelled to go into the house and call the bunker control center from there.

He crept cautiously to the door, turned the knob slowly and peered inside.

Though he could see nothing, he heard strange noises. It took a few seconds to figure out what he heard was music coming from the entertainment center. Suddenly the music player burst forth in heavy guitars and drums.

A woman began to sing:

_**You thought you had me all tied up in a little knot**_

_**You thought I'd go on living just like you 'til you asked me nicely to stop.**_

_**But… surprise!**_

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**To be the girl you tried to steal**_

Ray moved through the front part of the house, looking all around him. He checked behind the sofa, behind the bar, and behind the counter that separated the kitchen from the main living area.

Nothing.

Then he walked back to the entertainment center.

_**You thought I'd freeze out and whither away in abandon**_

_**Now you know differently, and I'll go on living like you'd never imagined.**_

…_**surprise!**_

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**To be the girl you tried to steal **_

Ray took one last look around, then leaned over, his finger aiming for the power button.

"Don't touch that dial, Ray!" came a hauntingly familiar shout above the noise of the music.

Ray spun around to see a ninja dropping from a shadowed spot on the ceiling. The dark-clad figure landed lightly on his feet and took three deliberate steps toward him.

"Who are you?" Ray demanded.

"Oh, come on, Ray!" the voice froze him to the core, "You know who this is!"

The ninja reached a hand up and swept off his mask. Ray knew who would be a split second before the mask came off.

"STOPPABLE!"

The dog came slinking timidly into the living room.

"NO!" he screamed, "YOU'RE DEAD! I WATCHED YOU DIE!"

"Ray," said the ghost condescendingly, "You can't kill me! You know that better than anyone. You tried to kill me twice, but you blew it. I even tried to kill myself once, but couldn't. And you were there for that, too!"

_**It's not every day someone sets you free**_

_**And gives you walking papers, to be the real thing**_

"No," Ray muttered, almost to himself, "No, no, no, no… it's a trick. You're a clone, or a hologram."

"Yeah, Ray? Ya think?" Ron brought his face to within inches of Ray's who was pressed up against the wall, his back to the entertainment center. Ron's face was a mask of snarling rage "Tell me, Ray, would a clone remember how he could have killed you in your lair after we brought down all those stupid battlebots you built? Would a hologram regret not letting the Lotus Blade lobotomize you when he had the chance?"

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**I'm free**_

_**To be the girl you tried to steal**_

_**To be the girl you tried to steal from me**_

Ron's last question brought back a specific memory to Ray. It was an image of the eyes of a better man as they burned into him with a righteous fury. An image of a long, slender piece of sharp steel hovering less than an inch from his eye.

And he knew right then.

However it happened, whatever events had transpired to bring his most hated enemy back from the dead, Ron Stoppable was here, now, in his living room. And this time, Ray knew with a certainty beyond words that Ron was not going to let him off the hook again. There would be no Shego or Kim to stop Ron from doing what they both knew he should have done thirty-five years ago.

Fear shot through his soul, while a blinding pain began shooting up his left arm and radiated to the left side of his jaw.

Ray Beam was having a heart attack.


	17. XVI

Author's 'so long', 'farewell', 'auf wiedersehen', 'good bye': Thanks again to all the readers and reviewers. The next chapter will be coming to you from the beautiful city of Tacoma, Washington (30 miles south of Seattle).

Again, the lyrics in this chapter are copyrighted by Curbtunes Music, performed by the band 'Plumb' from the album 'Beautiful Lumps Of Coal'.

Cheers!

* * *

XVI.

* * *

"Papa Bear to Mama Bear, come in Mama B-… OK, you know what? This is actually a little disturbing. How about you be KD, and I'll be Ronin?"

"Thank you! I've been trying to tell my husband those stupid code names were, well, stupid."

"Aw, come on guys, don't you get it? We're the three bears and we're rescuing Goldilocks!"

"Which bear am I?"

"Well you're…OK, we're the three bears and a naked mole rat rescuing…aw forget it."

"What's up, Ronin?"

"I've got Veronica. She's OK, but the air defense controls are sealed in the underground bunker beneath the hill. Maybe we better call in a GJ Strike Team."

"I wish I could, but GJ is officially disavowing any knowledge of an operation unless we produce hard evidence there's more going on here than just us picking up my sister-in-law."

"Terrific. There are about fifty guards on this island, all armed with portable disintegrator rays. Veronica just told me they don't work for Ray, so even if they see me with a hostage, they may not necessarily cooperate. We could really use some help."

"You copy that, Ariel?"

"Got it. It'll take five minutes to charge up the Beam Disruptor mounted on the satellite, then we've got about twenty minutes of effectiveness before I have to shut it down."

"Acknowledged. Ronin, Ariel's going to cover the island with a Beam Disruptor field in about five minutes. That'll render any beam weapons inoperative. But the field itself will only last for twenty minutes. You're going to have to find some way to get those air defense systems shut down."

"OK, I think I might have an idea… I'll contact you soon. Ronin out."

"I still think we should have gone with my code names."

"Aw, sweetheart, you'll always be my Baby Bear!"

"Awww, and you'll always be my Mama Bear, baby."

"I believe I may be the first naked mole rat agent in GJ history who is in danger of choking on his own vomit."

* * *

Ron looked down impassively at the older man who had just collapsed, clutching his chest. He wheezed and groaned, his breaths coming in short, panicky bursts.

"Veronica." Ron called out.

Having changed into clothes more suitable for travel, she walked timidly into the living room and gasped at the sight of her husband.

"Take a good look," Ron told her, "At the pathetic piece of garbage you've been afraid of all these years."

Veronica stepped closer to her father, tears welling up. She knew in her heart she had disappointed him.

"Daddy, I'm so sorry-"

"No," Ron held up a finger, "I'm not looking for an apology. I want you to remember this moment. The only power others have over us is what we choose to give them. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't." she whispered gratefully.

"Good. Now I'm going to need you to do something very difficult and very dangerous, but I think it's the only way we'll get out of here."

"I'll do it, Daddy."

Ron crouched, took a fistful of Ray's shirt and backhanded him rather viciously across the face, "That's just a taste, Ray. If you try to blow our cover, I'll end you before you can take your next breath. Play along, and we'll get you the medical attention you need. Got it?"

Ray, grimacing in pain, could only manage a nod.

"All right," Ron said standing up again, "Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

The captain of the guard waited anxiously for an update from the lieutenant who had responded to the Code Black. So far, nothing seemed to be happening out there.

Then someone emerged from the house. Actually it was two people; one was struggling to prop the other who seemed to have great difficulty walking. As they drew closer, the guard recognized Ray's wife, and then Ray himself. She walked right up to the bunker doors and – struggling to keep her husband propped up – knocked.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Came her voice over the intercom.

"What's the problem, Mrs. Beam?" the guard spoke into the microphone.

"I think Ray's having a heart attack!" she said with much fear in her voice, "Can you help us?"

The guard hesitated. But then what might his bosses say if it turns out he was the guy who let Ray Beam die? He punched a button on the control panel and the large outer bunker doors slid open.

"I…uh… thank you," she called out.

The guard turned his attention from the monitor to the front inner doors. Daylight poured in as the inner doors opened. Veronica began leading Ray through the short corridor and into the bunker. Again the guard hesitated, then ran down the stairs to help Veronica with her dying husband.

Had the guard stayed at his post, he would have seen, on his monitors, a human-shaped shadow emerge from the house and sprint across the open space to the bunker doors, keeping out of the line of sight from within the bunker itself. Neither had he noticed that Veronica was still holding Ray up with one arm, her other one tucked behind her giving a 'thumbs up' signal.

"Why didn't the guard in the kiosk help you?" the lieutenant asked when he got to the entrance.

"He wasn't there," Veronica said in a trembling voice, "I think he went to see what the alarms were about."

"Idiot," the lieutenant muttered, "OK, let's get him up into the control center. We'll call for some kind of medical evacuation."

"Won't you have to take down the air defense systems for that?" Veronica asked.

"Yes," the guard answered curtly.

"Good to know," said a strange voice.

The guard wasn't conscious long enough to find out who had spoken.

* * *

"Command center, come in command center. We are standing down from Code Black. Repeat, we are standing down from Code Black… Please acknowledge, command center, over. Command center, are you there? Come in command center, this is TK-421, why aren't you at your post? … I think we may have a faulty transmitter, let's get back to the bunker."

* * *

Ron was silently cursing his own stupidity. In his haste to make sure his daughter was relatively out of danger, he'd knocked out the guard before asking him what all these controls were for. None of them were labeled, and Veronica had never been in here before.

They were in the control center which was enclosed in large observation windows that looked out over the rest of the lair. The interior of the bunker was not quite as vast as Ron had imagined. At its highest point, the distance from floor to ceiling was somewhere between fifty and a hundred feet. Most of the interior was filled with hundreds of missiles or rockets, all standing neatly in rows on what looked like massive conveyer belts.

And then Ron couldn't believe his eyes. Way back in a far corner, tucked out of the way, stood one Deathray battlesuit.

"Um, so did you have any idea what Ray's plan was all about?" Ron asked his daughter.

"Just bits of what I've overheard," Veronica answered, "Ray invented this weapon called a Hydro-disruptor. He wanted to take over the world with it, but ran out of money midway through production of the satellites. So he got a couple of governments to finance the rest of his operation."

"What do they get in return?"

"North America and Europe. Ray gets the rest."

"So the henchmen are on those governments' payroll to protect their investment," Ron deduced, "And we got here just in time to thwart the plan. Quite the coincidence."

"Well," Veronica said doubtfully, "I overheard Ray say last week they were still a year away from deployment…"

"Oh."

"But…um, at least you got here just in time to thwart _my _plan," She said quietly.

"Hey! What are you doing up there?" came a gruff voice from below.

"Try and find the controls to the doors," Ron said hurriedly and bounded down the stairs.

The guard uttered a surprised grunt and took a couple of involuntary steps backward. Fortunately for Ron, the guard had ordered the others to remain outside in case something was up. But he was calling for help now. The guard raised his disintegrator and fired. Nothing happened.

Ronin sprinted straight at him, leaped into the air and spun slowly, executing a textbook roundhouse kick that caught the guard on the chin as he was still trying to fire his weapon. Ron landed in a combat-ready crouch; one leg out to the side, while the other was tucked up under him. He looked up to see eight more guards running through the short entrance corridor. Then the outer doors began to slide shut, followed almost immediately by the inner doors.

Ron stood up and ran for the nearest guard, all of whom were trying to fire their weapons at him. At the last second Ron dodged to one side, caught the guard with a clothesline-arm which he hooked around the guard's neck, then used that guard to swing his legs up and drive them into the chest of the guard behind him. Ron twisted his body, let go of the first guard and landed with his back facing the oncoming third guard. At the right instant, he dropped to a crouch and rolled into a backward somersault, bringing both legs up and driving them into the third guard's midsection. The henchman let out a grunt as he folded up around Ron's feet, then dropped to the ground. Ron ended his roll in a handstand, turned himself to face the remaining guards, and brought his legs down in front of him. He straightened up and threw out two hard fists that caught two guards in the face. They were stunned, but not out. Ron spun around and drove two hard cross punches into their noses and they finally dropped.

Three left. They stood abreast of each other, warily advancing on the ninja. In a move that even surprised Ron, mostly because he thought it wouldn't work, he ran straight at them, leaped into the air and flattened himself out horizontally, simultaneously driving a fist into the face of the guard on the left, a knee into the face of the guard in the middle, and the foot of his straight leg into the face of the guard on the right. The three guards were knocked back, and Ron came down on top of them when they landed. He rolled off their unconscious forms and sprang into a combat-ready stance.

The first of the eight guards, the one Ron had clotheslined, was holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. He'd watched the remainder of the fight and decided he didn't want any.

Ron strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him up the stairs to the control room. When he got to the top, he found Ray standing at the other end of the room with one arm around Veronica's neck in a choke-hold fashion. In his other hand was the lieutenant's disintegrator. He held it against Veronica's temple.

Ron let go of the guard and glared at Ray.

"You're going to get me a medical evacuation flight out of here, or she dies." He said with great effort.

"You know what, Ray?" Ron growled, walking straight toward him, "I've always tried to be merciful and compassionate, the way Rabbi Katz taught me growing up. But I've learned there are limits to even those things, at least for humans. You just blew past mine. Now you've become too much of a liability for me to bother with anymore."

Ray pulled the trigger, nothing happened.

Ron wrenched Ray's arm from around Veronica's neck and, summoning all of his strength, drove a thundering uppercut into Ray's chin.

"There's your evacuation flight, Ray!"

Ray Beam crashed through the large observation window and slammed to the concrete floor of the bunker below. He rolled beneath the nearest conveyer belt and came to a halt, groaning and barely moving.

Ron didn't even wait to watch him fall. He turned to Veronica, "You all right?"

She nodded numbly.

Ron returned his attention to the guard, "Get over here."

The guard obeyed instantly.

"Tell me about all this," Ron gestured outward.

"There are Hydro-disruptor weapons mounted to satellites inside the nose cones of these rockets. Next year, they were to be launched, deployed and fired at pre-selected targets within a three hour time frame," the guard explained cautiously.

"So none of the militaries or justice agencies of the world would have time to react." Ron guessed.

"That's correct."

"If we-"

Ron was interrupted by Kimono's voice in his ear, "Ronin. Come in Ronin, can you hear me?"

"Go ahead, KD."

"What's your status? Ariel says the Beam Disruptor Field is going to come down in three minutes."

Three minutes, with more than forty guards waiting outside the doors. Even with the air defenses shut down, there wouldn't be enough time for them to evacuate without the portable disintegrator weapons coming back on line.

"KD, tell Ariel to go ahead and shut it off, we may need that three minutes later. I need to ask a prisoner a few questions. I'll get back to you."

"Acknowledged." Kimono was beginning to sound worried.

"What's that for?" Ron asked the guard, indicating the Deathray suit.

"He was going to use that to rule his part of the world. He said it would strike fear into his peasants and keep them in line." The guard explained.

"Just the one?"

"Well, I think he was going to build more in the coming year. He was always talking about cloning and artificial brain technology."

Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. Ray didn't have an original thought in his head.

"Tell me about the air defense systems," Ron ordered.

* * *

"You guys ready back there?" Kimono spoke into her headset microphone.

"As much as we'll ever be," TJ's voice replied in her ear.

"You sound worried, sweetie. I think your dad knows what he's doing." She assured her husband.

"My dad is an amazing thinker on his feet, a formidable warrior in battle, and the best father you could ever hope to have. But when he says he has a plan, that's when you should start to get worried. Ron Stoppable was…is… a master at improvisational thinking, but one seriously lousy planner." TJ informed his wife.

"I think you're underestimating him," Kimono said, a little more defensively than she meant to.

"Oh… my… gosh!" TJ said with a fair amount of wonder in his voice.

"What?"

"You've got a crush on my dad!"

"I do not," Kimono said, way more defensively than she meant to.

"Yes you do. You _so_ have a crush on my dad." TJ teased, "It's like high school all over again!"

"Yeah," Kimono said in a dreamy voice, "Except now he's my age."

TJ snorted, "OK, but remember, if you run off with my dad, that'll change the timeline and I'll never have existed."

"I fail to see the downside in any of this," Kimono said lightly.

"Yowch, that was harsh," Her husband sounded a little hurt.

"You're right, honey, I'm sorry. I was only kidding, and I guess I went too far." Kimono said seriously, "I don't think I _really_ have a crush on your dad, but hanging out with him this week has kinda brought it all back. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah," TJ agreed, "I'm gonna miss him too when he has to leave."

"Believe me, Timothy James Stoppable, your bed is the only one I ever wanna sleep in." Kimono assured him.

"Ooh, I love it when you say that." TJ gushed, "I guess we better get going. You're going to patch me through directly to Ariel once we're away, yeah?"

"Yep. I'm opening the bay doors now. Good luck TJ, you too Rufus."

"Thanks, baby."

"Thank you, Agent Kim Stoppable."

* * *

Ron, Veronica and the guard watched the monitors as the guards outside began looking up, then raised their weapons skyward and fired. For a few seconds, disintegrator rays streaked into the air, but then suddenly ceased. The guards all began to examine their weapons and question each other on theories as to why they weren't working again.

"Ariel's activated the Disruptor Field again. Open the launch doors and shut down the air defense systems." Ron ordered the guard.

The prisoner did as he was told and daylight began to stream in from above as a large door in the ceiling slid open in two directions.

They waited for a few tense moments, then saw a rectangular shadow play across the rockets and satellites standing on the bunker floor. A moment later, TJ parachuted through the opening and angled himself over as hard as he could. He still managed to snag the chute on one of the rockets, however, and was forced to lower himself and Rufus with his grappler.

Veronica didn't even wait for her brother to climb the stairs, but rather flew down them and ran crying into his waiting embrace.

Rufus left them alone and came up to join Ron.

"Agent Ron Stoppable," He said in greeting, "It is good that you are still alive."

"I feel the same way, R3K." Ron returned, "Hey! That rhymes!"

"It does indeed." The mole rat agreed. (Hey, that rhymed, too!)

TJ came bounding up the stairs with a big grin on his face, "Man, I wish mom were here."

"Me too." Ron said with a far away look in his eyes. "You guys ready to rock?"

"Fusion!" TJ confirmed.

"Let us do this thing," Rufus declared.

"Reactivate the air defense systems," Ron ordered the guard.

Several minutes later, the guards outside were startled by a sudden, rumbling kind of roar as rockets began launching from the top of the hill in quick succession. The anti-air emplacements automatically trained their weapons on the airborne objects and fired. The rockets exploded one after the other as anti-air missiles and blaster rays blew them out of the sky almost as soon as they cleared the launch doors.

The guards had already retreated some distance, fearful of the rapid-fire explosions occurring almost directly overhead. They panicked outright when, a few seconds later, the front doors of the bunker blew outward in a thunderous explosion of flame and metal. A large mechanical battlebot stomped its way through the smoke and wreckage, its weapons blazing forth a hellfire of disintegrator and disruptor fury.

Rufus' voice boomed out over the loudspeakers mounted on Deathray's shoulders, "That is right! Flee, cowards! Flee before the wrath of-"

Inside the cockpit of the battlebot:

"…What did we decide to call you again?" Rufus asked his companion.

"Robo-Ronin," Ron answered.

"Hmmm, I do not like that. How about Mecha-ninja?"

"Nah. Ooh, I got it! How about Ro-Bot?" Ron asked excitedly.

"Robot?"

"No, not Robot, Ro-Bot. There's a hyphen!"

"Of course," Rufus turned the speakers on again and leaned toward the microphone, "Flee before the wrath of Ro-Bot, dishonorable henchmen!"

They fled, alright. Those that were foolish enough to try fighting back got a face full of disintegrator. It wasn't pretty.

Ron worked the actual maneuvering of the mechanoid, as well as one weapon. Rufus worked two other weapons. They chased the guards to the house and held them there.

TJ, Veronica, and the cooperative guard were tucked away in a protective shelter well beneath the floor of the bunker. TJ made sure the guard had initiated the proper launch sequence and didn't try anything funny.

Kimono had her hands full. She was charged with bringing down any of the rockets that managed to slip through the air defenses. The Ninjet had all kinds of cool missiles to get the job done. None lethal, of course, but there were disruptor charges, missiles with titanium alloy tips that simply tore through the fuselage of the rockets or missiles that attached themselves to the rocket and acted as a rudder, steering the rocket back into the ocean below.

One or two got past her, but Ariel managed to scrape up a little power in order to operate several beam weapons mounted on her satellite. She finished off any that managed to get into the upper stratosphere.

As for Raymond Beam, his last, barely conscious thought was the sudden awareness that the rockets above him were preparing to launch. He gibbered incoherently, his mind blank with abject terror, and tried to crawl away. The next instant his whole world blazed with white-hot fire as he quickly incinerated. A glimpse, perhaps, of things yet to come for the soul of Mr. Beam.

An hour later, Kimono brought the Ninjet to a landing between the house and the bunker. A GJ Clean-up Team was already rounding up the guards and working to gather what evidence they could from the computer systems and so forth before destroying everything.

When she emerged, TJ and her father-in-law were waiting to greet her. They exchanged hugs and handshakes all around and congratulated each other on yet another plot foiled. This one, of course, had special significance for all of them.

"Where _is_ Veronica?" Kimono asked, looking around.

Though Ron pointed in the direction of the house, a thunderous explosion already told her what she needed to know. Veronica was in the Deathray suit, working out some frustrations on Ray Beam's former residence. She tore through the house with a blossoming fury that would have frightened even her late husband. She cried, and screamed in anger and fired the disruptor at Ray's favorite recliner, or the pictures of him on the walls, or the bed. The bed she kept firing at long after it was disintegrated. She raised the foot of the mechanoid and stomped on its ashes repeatedly. Then she rampaged through what was left of the structure until none of it was standing, and no piece of it was larger than her. All the while, she was listening to that same song on her headphones; the one she had used repeatedly to drive her further into her depression. But now, at last, she allowed herself not only to listen to the final verse, but began to believe it as well:

_**If you've been there, you know**_

_**If you're still there, hang on**_

_**We're all dealt our lumps of coal**_

_**What you do with it can turn beautiful**_

Veronica listened, cried, and believed. It wasn't every day a girl was rescued by her dead father. Never again would she give power over her to those who would misuse it.

_**There's life outside of your madness**_

_**And there's a face behind every scar**_

_**There is love overflowing with gladness**_

_**Get out of that place that's restraining your love**_

_**Get out of that place that's restraining your love**_

Veronica at last climbed out of the cockpit of her husband's machine, walked away from the remains of the house, and didn't once look back; not even when the self-destruct mechanism obliterated the battlebot.

* * *

That night there was much celebrating at the Stoppable household.

"MMMmmm…oh, man," Ron said to his son through a mouthful of food, "Your wife cooks like this and you eat most of your meals at Bueno Nacho? That's just sick and wrong!"

Kimono was just coming into the dining room with another plate full of food, set it down, and kissed her father-in-law on the forehead.

"Thanks, Dad!" She gushed, "Glad at least one member of my family appreciates my culinary skills."

"Well, of course he does," TJ protested, "He taught you said skills."

"Really?" Ron asked with a huge grin on his face, "You know, I tried teaching your mom once when we were in high school."

"Yep. Heard that one," Kimono smiled as she sat down, "When you were teaching me, she tried joining in and made quite a mess of the kitchen a few times. I think she was a little jealous of all the time we were spending together."

"It wasn't the time," TJ countered, "It was all the praise Dad heaped on you. Mom always had a hard time sharing Dad's praise with others."

"Probably because it's been largely directed at her for most of my life." Ron mused. "But seriously, KD, this meal is amazing."

"Aw thanks," Kimono said, blushing deeply. "Like I said, it's nice to be appreciated."

"I like your cooking, too," Veronica said shyly. She was enjoying the company of her family, but was feeling a little overwhelmed after seven years of isolation.

Kimono said nothing, but reached over and squeezed her sister-in-law's hand, smiling warmly.

Rufus Three Thousand was not eating with the rest of them. He was up in his quarters above the garage helping his new friend get comfortable in his new home. Rufus had made a make-shift bed out of some old towels, and Stoppable – the dog – was finding it very comfortable.

Rufus reached out a hand and the dog recoiled, whimpering slightly.

"You have been treated most dishonorably," Rufus said softly to the dog, "But do not worry. I will take care of you."

He gently patted the dog's head. After a moment, the dog timidly licked Rufus' paw and looked up meekly at his new master, tentatively wagging his tail. Rufus had wanted to go on calling it 'Stoppable' in Ron's honor, but Ron had suggested another name. The more Rufus thought about it, the more he liked it. In fact, the dog itself rather liked its new name: Ronaldus.

Several hours later, the women were in the living room talking quietly. Kimono was actually doing more listening than talking, giving Veronica the chance to speak to someone who actually cared about what she had to say. Every now and then they would smile at each other as shouts of 'Booyah' or 'Fusion' would come from the game room. Many zombies were falling before the mighty blades of Ron and TJ Stoppable. Neither of the girls could figure out exactly what the attraction of video games was, especially when they'd spent the day fighting real villains.

All too soon, however, Rufus came walking reluctantly into the living room.

"I have a call from Wade to Ron Stoppable," He said, his voice laced with disappointment. Everyone knew what it was about.

A minute later, TJ came out of the game room and slumped dejectedly on the couch.

"Sweetie," Kimono said softly to her husband, "We knew he had to go sooner or later."

"This is sooner," TJ almost whined, "Why can't it be later?"

Veronica tried to keep the tears from welling up. She'd barely gotten to spend time with the father she so deeply loved. She had virtually clung to him all day, but let go when TJ offered to play games. She could tell her father was getting a little uncomfortable with her constant attachment. Now he would be leaving.

They sat quietly as Ron spent close to an hour talking with Wade. When he came out, there was a serious look on his face.

"As you may have guessed" Ron said to his family, "Wade and Tim have finished the time travel device. Wade said they found an old scan Kim took of Monkey Fist using something called the Tempus Simia in the GJ archives, and used it to construct the machine. I asked if Wade could wait until morning at least, but he had some rather disturbing news…"

* * *

Ron stood behind a protective glass wall in the labs at Global Justice several hours later. The protective glass was so that no one else would get pulled into the vortex by accident. Ron felt a little like an exhibit at the zoo.

"We're ready any time you are, Ron," Wade said after making a few adjustments to his equipment. There was a two-way voice-activated intercom mounted to the window, "We've got a lock on Kim's energy signature and should be able to put you somewhere in her vicinity."

Ron nodded, then looked from Wade to his children and daughter-in-law.

Then something occurred to him.

"Wait, how were you able to get Kim's energy signature?"

Wade and Tim looked at each other. But before they could speak, a door opened and a sixty-four year old Kim Possible stepped hesitantly into the room. She'd heard Ron's question.

Veronica gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Kim seemed vaguely aware of her daughter's presence, but her eyes remained locked on Ron's.

Kim's hair was mostly dark gray, with bits of deep auburn and strands of lighter gray mixed in. She was thin and it was clear that life and gravity had taken their toll on her body. But her eyes were still green and they still had that Kim Possible fire in them.

She walked forward to the protective glass, her hand on her chest as though she were trying to get her heart to slow down. Tears welled up and began cascading down her cheeks as she beheld the sight of the man she hadn't seen in twelve years; the man who had been her soul-mate since they were four years old. But this wasn't the man who had gone off to the store to pick up a few holiday gifts and never came back. This was a man on the front side of thirty years. He looked just like he did the day she married him.

Kim's legs were rendered weak with emotion and she collapsed to her knees. Concerned, Ron crouched down as well, never taking his eyes off of hers. You may have seen such things in movies or on television and thought it corny. But if you had been there, been in that situation, you might very well have done what Ron and Kim did. They each put a hand to the window, as though they were attempting to touch each other one last time. Kim began to sob as she held her hand against the glass where her husband was holding his.

"I'm really sorry," Wade said uncomfortably, "But we've got to do this now."

Ron nodded, but did not move, did not even take his eyes from hers.

"Thank you," Kim sobbed quietly, "For saving Veronica."

"I had to, KP," Ron replied, "She's our daughter. She'll be all right now."

Kim nodded.

Suddenly, a burst of reddish light accompanied a deep, pulsating explosive kind of sound. A visible, pale red shockwave emanated from the light-burst and spread out in all directions. A crimson-colored vortex opened up behind Ron. He braced himself against the window and absorbed the energy of the shockwave, then he stood up. He nodded to TJ, Kimono, and Veronica; the three of them reluctantly left the room. Ron stood for some time gazing at his wife.

"I love you," He said quietly, then turned and stepped into the vortex.

Kim let out a sob as the vortex closed around Ron. The space behind the protective glass was empty.

She looked to Wade, and then gasped as Tim, standing behind Wade, simply vanished from sight. Wade turned around, then looked back to Kim.

"I think the timeline is-"

Wade vanished.

Before she could react, Kim disappeared as well.

* * *

Dr. Justine Flanner was on the cusp of a breakthrough. She held a crucial component of the artificial Tempus Simia in her hand. She just needed to make one or two adjustments and then she'd call Wade and have him contact Kim in Japan. All she needed to do was-

The component disappeared in her hands.

"WHAT? No! Not now, please, not no-"

The lab was suddenly empty.

* * *

"Sweetheart, do you want bacon with your breakfast?" Mrs. Doctor Possible called out to her husband.

"Honey, I'm surprised you still ask me that, after all these years… honey?" Mr. Doctor Possible had just walked into the kitchen where his wife's voice had been heard. But the kitchen was empty.

The entire house was empty a moment later.

Then the house itself disappeared.

* * *

"Hey, baby, what are you doing here? Aren't you going to the lab?" A surprised Monique stood at the door of her apartment to find her future husband standing there.

Wade shook his head. There was a little sadness on his face, "I told them I wanted to spend some time with my wife. I know you aren't yet, but I wanted to say it at least once. It felt good."

"Felt good to hear it," Monique said softly. She drew her fiancé to her and kissed him deeply for a moment, then pulled away just a little, "Well, if we're going to be wiped from existence, then I'm glad we'll be together for it."

Wade reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand, "Me, too sweetie. I wanted to spend th-"

Monique vanished.

Wade gasped in sad surprise, then spent a tortuous ten minutes standing in the empty apartment, waiting for something to happen. He watched as various objects around him began to disappear, then worried fearfully if the apartment would vanish right out from under him.

He began to wonder if Kim had vanished yet, or Ron, in whatever time period he had gotten to.

Then he was gone.

The apartment building disappeared soon after.

Followed by all of Middleton.

* * *

Monkey Fist was not a patient man, nor did he seem to be a completely sane man these days.

Fukushima had taken to sleeping outside, afraid of even looking at Monkey Fist the wrong way. Even his monkey ninjas were walking on eggshells around him.

Whenever they weren't engaged in battle, Monkey Fist would spend all his time in his tent, muttering to himself and cradling the Tempus Simia.

Ishigawa avoided talking to him as much as he could.

In three days, the armies would be at the base of Mount Yamanuchi. A scout party had been sent ahead to prevent anyone from trying to leave the school. Soon, the Ohana Blades would be captured, and the power of the Ohana Wraith would be his to control. And once Japan was conquered, Ishigawa would gladly be rid of Fist Of Monkey.

But perhaps… just perhaps… Ishigawa might keep the Ohana Blades for himself.

After all, China was just a short distance across the sea…

* * *

The tide of the battle had turned when the enemy soldiers beheld the power of the Lotus Blade. The ninja wielding it had transformed it into all kinds of weapons and was making short work of his opponents, though few dared to come near him now.

So much the better.

The ninja charged the enemy line and it easily broke as the soldiers scattered in fear. The ninja's two companions joined him and began working their way through the enemy soldiers.

Kim and Yori coordinated their attacks at Kim's direction and they fell to their work with renewed enthusiasm. What had looked almost hopeless just a few moments before had now become a decisive victory. They were compelled to finish off the remaining enemy soldiers since returning to Ishigawa in defeat would have meant death for them anyway. They fought to the bitter end.

When the last of the enemy soldiers fell, Kim and her companions stood upon the field of battle and desperately tried to catch their breath.

"Any injuries, Yori?" Kim asked, panting. She cleaned the blood from the Magnolia Blades, then returned them to their place upon her back.

"A scratch on my left arm," She responded, "But it is of no consequence. I will bathe it in the stream."

Kim nodded as Yori moved toward the water. She turned her attention to the ninja who nodded to his two companions, handed the Lotus Blade to one of them, and began walking toward her.

"Sensei," Kim said as he came near, "Thank you so much for coming to our rescue. I don't think we would have prevailed if-"

The ninja held up his hand and shook his head.

It was then Kim noticed the crimson image of a Katana on the chest of the ninja's clothes. He stepped closer and took off his mask.

"Hey, KP!" He said jovially, "What's a nice girl like you doing in a century like this?"

"RO- mmmppph!"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by her husband's lips pressed against hers.

Ron was congratulating himself on his witty banter and dashingly romantic gesture, and he was certainly enjoying the feel of his wife's lips against his for the first time in, well, fifteen hundred years give or take.

But Kim's eyes remained wide open in surprise. She looked at what she could see of his face. His eyes were closed, but it _was_ his hair, his forehead, his ear…yep, she was pretty sure that was his tongue. At last she closed her eyes and flung her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him in a kiss that conveyed passion and longing as well as relief at being in his arms once more.

Reluctantly, Ron pulled away at last, "Good to see you, Mrs. Stoppable."

"So that was you the whole time?" Kim asked, astonished, "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

"You mean, tell you 'your long lost husband is here, but try not to get distracted by that fact during the life-or-death battle'?" Ron teased, "We thought it best not to tell you until after it was over."

"We?"

Ron gestured to the two ninjas behind him who had just pulled off their masks. One was an oddly familiar looking man with red hair. The other looked like a blue/green version of Shego.

"Let me introduce you to our kids!" Ron said dramatically.

"Our WHAT?"

Before Ron could answer, there was an exclamation from Kintaro and the remaining student. Ron and Kim looked around to see a Black and White staff, and a Naginata flying through the air. The Staff split at the middle and pulled apart, becoming two straight Ninjato swords. The black half flew at TJ while the white went to Kimono.

Ron's Lotus-honed instincts kicked in, "It's OK", he called out, "Just raise your hand and they will come to you."

They caught their respective Blades, albeit somewhat awkwardly and held them, giving each other a strange look.

The long spear-like Naginata sailed end over end into the woods above them. They heard a woman's scream come from that spot a second later. Ron was already off and running toward it.

"Be right back!" He called over his shoulder.

Kim noted the crossed Katana logos on TJ and Kimono's clothing; their similarity to her husband's uniform. She walked over to them.

"That's actually supposed to be a single weapon," Kim explained, "Called the Orchid Blade. If Sensei were here, he'd probably tell you they have chosen you to be their bearer. But I'm afraid I don't know much about what they do. Hi, I'm Kim, but I guess you already know that."

"I'm Timothy James," The red-haired man held out his hand, "Everyone calls me TJ. Do you mind if I…um…?"

TJ stepped forward and threw his arms around his mother. Kim hesitantly returned the embrace, not knowing what to think.

"It's good to see you, Mom," TJ said, then released her, noting the look of bewilderment on her face, "Sorry if this is all a little overwhelming. Um… you might want to sit down for this. This is Kimono, my wife."

"Hi!" Kimono said brightly, "And before you say anything, the answer is 'yes', I do look like Shego because she's my mom."

"Yeah," TJ confirmed, "And Dr. Drakken's her dad, it's kind of a long st-…Mom?.. are you all right?… yeah, just sit down. Here, put your head between your knees and breathe…DAD! …it's OK, just breathe, you'll be OK… you did the same thing when we told you we were getting married… DAD, you better get down here!"

"What happened?" Ron said, as he led a shaken daughter who was holding the Cactus Blade rather gingerly by the shaft, "You told her she was related to Shego and Drakken, didn't you? I told you guys to keep that a secret for awhile."

"He did it!" Kimono said innocently pointing a finger at TJ.

"I'll be OK," Kim panted, "I think."

Ron introduced Kim to her daughter, who wanted to cry and give her a hug, but her father had told her there would be time for that later.

During all this, Yori, Kintaro and the remaining student gathered to watch the goings on. They were mesmerized by these strange creatures with odd hair and powers over the Ohana Blades.

"It's a lot to take in, I know," Ron sympathized, "I actually had a few days to absorb the information. We should find out what the deal is with these weapons and then ask these people-… Yori?"

"Greetings, Stoppable-san." Yori said with a bow. "It is good to see you again. Indeed, I should not be surprised that you are here. Where Monkey Fist goes, you inevitably follow."

"Monkey Fist is here, too?" Ron asked, incredulous.

"Yeah," Kim confirmed, "That's why Yori and I are here."

Kim gave her husband a quick briefing on the situation, which took longer than anyone was really comfortable with. Kintaro was anxious to be off.

"OK," Ron said at the end of her report, "But what about these swords? How come we've only heard of the Lotus Blade?"

Kim told him of the ability to pass the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah to a mate or a child, then informed him that Sensei was actually Toshimiru and he was the one sending Ron the dreams.

"He's…what?…Sensei is the founder of Yamanuchi? Then that would make him…geeze, I had no idea." Ron once again had to absorb more information that made his head hurt.

Kintaro was becoming agitated.

"Kintaro says we should be away from here. The armies of Ishigawa and Monkey Fist must be close if they are already sending scout parties onto the mountain." Yori informed them.

"Ask him what he wants to do." Ron told Yori.

She and Kintaro exchanged words.

"Kintaro thinks we should all go to the province of Mutsu where his father is lord. It is a large province with much empty land. It would be a good place to hide the Ohana Blades." Yori relayed.

Ron nodded.

"But I thought we'd go after Monkey Fist," Kim protested.

"If the dreams I had are any indicator, the Ohana Wraith is more powerful than any of us can imagine." Ron responded, "Best to keep the Blades as far from Monkey Fist as possible. If we go north, we can keep the Blades hidden, and come up with a plan to capture the Tempus Simia. If we stay here, we'll be captured, and if one or two of us goes after Monkey Fist, he'll do everything in his power to search out the rest of us. No, I know what you're going to say, KP, and you were right when it was just you and Yori. That's what I would have done. But things are different now. If Monkey Fist gets the power of the Ohana Wraith, then he'll destroy us, and all hope of restoring the timeline will be lost."

"You know about that?" Kim asked.

"Future Wade told me all about it. But I'm with Kintaro on this. We go north. And we should get moving before those two armies cut us off." Ron said decisively.

The frustrating thing for Kim was that Ron was right. Whether she realized his logic or the Magnolia Blades helped her to see it, it didn't matter. Up to now she had been giving the orders, and her latest one had been countermanded, so to speak.

Kintaro sent the remaining student back up to the school to inform Sensei of what had taken place, then set off, leading them all northward. Ron took a longing look up the slopes of Yamanuchi, but realized the danger that would ensue if he risked going up there to see his old friend. They moved at a brisk pace, as Kintaro was eager to slip by Ishigawa as soon as possible.

Their journey the rest of that day took them over some pretty rough terrain. But once they had gotten about thirty miles north of Mount Yamanuchi, Kintaro began to relax. He knew Ishigawa was not yet at the school, and he would spend a couple of days questioning Sensei on the whereabouts of the Ohana Blades. This would give his party a bit of a head start.

As they walked, Kim held on to her husband's hand as much as she could, just relishing his touch once more. They talked; telling each other everything that had happened since Ron had been thrown into the future. Kim was less than pleased to hear Ray Beam's name again, and at that point, Ron let Veronica tell her story.

Yori and Kintaro led the way, talking quietly between them. TJ and his wife came next, listening to the conversation between their parents. TJ carried the Orchid Blades together on his back. Ron, Kim and Veronica brought up the rear. Veronica carried the Cactus Blade on her shoulder, like a soldier on patrol carrying a rifle. Kim spent most of the day absorbing some pretty disturbing information on how Ray Beam was able to lure Kim's daughter into his life. But when they got to the story of the rescue, Kim couldn't help smiling – a lot – at her husband.

She was proud of him, and Ron could tell. It made him feel warm all over. Making her proud was one of the things he lived for.

Early in the evening, Kintaro decided to make camp near a large lake, just inside the tree line where they wouldn't be visible from a distance. Ron and his kids were completely exhausted, having spent that day invading Ray's private Island and ending it camping near a Japanese lake at the beginning of the fifth century.

Ron was glad he'd slept a little on the Ninjet after Veronica's rescue. If he hadn't, he probably would have collapsed hours ago. He'd been operating on adrenaline most of the day, and his supply was just about finished.

They fashioned three crude two-man tents out of sticks and the cloth used to bundle the Blades. TJ and Kimono would be in one tent, Ron and Kim in another, while Veronica and Yori would sleep in the third. Kintaro would sleep on a mat outside next to the fire. They had brought some food with them, but some of it was lost during the battle, and what little remained had to be shared among the seven of them. No one's hunger was completely satisfied when they went to bed that night.

Kim gave Veronica the extra set of clothes she had taken from the school in her time period and then wondered if Sensei had known she would need them. But she was too tired to contemplate Temporal Causality Loops after a battle and such a long day's journey. Veronica changed into the deer leather kilt/skirt and beige cotton tunic. She was already wearing sandals from her time period. The rest of the modern clothes she slung in a bundle and used for a pillow.

After dinner, they all said a tired good night to each other and took to their tents. It grew dark. The birds and bugs that lived during the night began to make their usual noises. The humans were quiet for some time.

"So why did Wade send our kids back here with you?" Kim eventually whispered to her husband.

"Huh," Ron said drowsily, "Wha?"

Kim repeated her question.

"Oh, man. I'm too tired to think," Ron protested, "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Too tired?" Kim teased, softly kissing his cheek, "You can't be _too_ tired, Mr. Stoppable," she brushed her lips across his closed eyelid, "I think you might have enough energy for one or two activities," her lips slid lightly down the bridge of his nose to his lips where she kissed him deeply.

Ron was a little more awake now.

"I think my mystical monkey power needs to be recharged," she whispered invitingly.

"You have to recharge it?" Ron asked confused, "I didn't know- mmmphphmph."

She shut him up with a kiss.

"Focus, Ron," She whispered breathily as her lips slowly parted from his. She loosened the straps on her vest and slid herself up on top of him, bringing her lips to meet his once more; their tongues dancing playfully with each other. It was just as much from relief at being in his arms again as it was from the pleasure she took from him that Kim let out a moan as Ron slid his fingernails lightly across the small of her back and proceeded to slip his hands up under her v-

"Hey! These tents aren't soundproof you know!" came Kimono's voice from the next tent over, "And I think you're traumatizing TJ. The poor guy's curled up in a fetal position and…yep…there goes the thumb, into the mouth."

"No one should ever have to hear their parents make those noises," TJ whimpered. "That's just not right."

"OK," Ron whispered savagely, "We get your point. Sheesh, we didn't even get to the good part yet."

"'The good part'" TJ moaned, "Great. There's an image that will haunt me for life."

"Yes, TJ, we get that you will be needing therapy for a few years. But let's not wake up Veronica." Ron warned.

"Oh, I'm awake," came Veronica's choked voice from the other side of Ron and Kim. She sounded very emotional.

"Are you all right?" Kim asked with concern.

"Yes," Veronica's voice trembled and shook, "I'm fine."

"Ronnie, if you were awake, why didn't you say something earlier?" TJ hissed.

"Because I was afraid!" she said, trying to muffle the emotion in her voice.

"Afraid of what?" TJ whispered.

Veronica finally let out a full belly laugh. It was laughter she had been trying to stifle, not tears as everyone thought.

"I…" she started, then broke off into giggles, "I was afraid I might interrupt my own conception!"

Silence. Then Kimono snorted, followed by a guffaw from Ron. And finally, the five family members burst into long, loud uproarious laughter.

Kintaro stared up at the stars, trying to figure out what these strange people were laughing at.

Yori lay on her side, facing away from Veronica. She was awake but did not join in on the laughter. All day she had been feeling like an outsider. Not only was she not a member of this family – of Ron's family – but they all shared in the mystical monkey power as a result. She did not.

Unrequited love carried around for a decade could be a painful thing. When you've had a little taste of what that love could be like, the pain and longing increase exponentially. Yori was content to embark on this adventure with just Kim, because at least Ron's presence in her life could be plausibly denied. But now he was here… Yori discovered the torch she had been carrying for Ron Stoppable had become a bonfire.

"Oh, man," TJ said through mirthful tears, "I bet you're the only person in history who could legitimately say that."

The laughter continued for some time, and then eventually died down. After awhile, silence returned to camp.

Thirty minutes later:

"Um…hello? Non-soundproof tents!" Kim whispered.

"Sorry," Came Kimono's sheepish reply, "We thought everyone was asleep."

* * *

In the morning, Kintaro was up with the sun, catching breakfast from the depths of the lake with a vine and some bait. Several people crawled wearily out of their tents a couple hours later, enticed to consciousness by the smell of fish frying over an open flame. Kim and Veronica remained sleeping.

Ron and TJ went down to the lake shore to splash a little cold water on their faces. TJ noticed his father was in a particularly cheerful mood.

"So what are you so chipper ab-?…aw, no, you gotta be kidding me," TJ had seen that grin in the mirror on occasion.

"What?" Ron protested, "It's not like we woke anyone up."

"This is not a conversation a guy should be having with his dad." TJ groaned.

"Oh relax, would you? Your mom just needed to recharge the old mystical monkey power," his grin got wider as he held up two fingers, "Twice!"

"LA LA LA LA" TJ had his fingers in his ears, "LA LA…I am not hearing you! I cannot underst-"

TJ was interrupted by a bright, pale blue flash overhead accompanied by a booming explosion of thunderous noise. Everyone looked up to see a small, circular hovercraft spinning out of control on a steep downward angle. It plunged into the lake, sending up a massive cascade of frothy lake water.

"Oh, goody," Ron said casually. Nothing surprised him anymore, "More relatives."

The craft sank almost immediately. Two spluttering and coughing heads broke the surface. Their voices carried clearly across the water.

"It's gone! My funky, fresh flying car is gone! Only eight more payments and it would have been all mine!"

"We managed to survive that and you're worried about the hovercraft? Besides, don't you have insurance?"

"Oh, yes, and what am I supposed to put on the insurance form? 'Collided with a Quantum Filament and lost control. Please reimburse me for the full price of the vehicle'?"

Kimono came running up to her husband and father-in-law, "I hear petty bickering, is that-? YES! Mother! Daddy!"

Kimono waded out until it was too deep then began swimming to her parents. TJ heaved a huge sigh and went in after his wife. Soon, Drakken and Shego were led out of the water by a chattering Kimono and an eye-rolling TJ. Shego stared blankly at this strange woman who seemed to know her. Drakken was almost relieved to see Ron.

"Hello, Ronald," He said almost casually, "We just came from your wedding reception. It was lovely."

"Good morning, Dr. D." Ron said back just as casually, then turned around to see a very sleepy wife crawling out of her tent, "Honey! Throw a couple more fish on the fire! The in-laws just dropped in!"

Drakken looked at Ron with narrowed eyes, "The what-laws?"

* * *

Coming in August: The War of the Tempus Simia 


	18. XVII

Author's jubilant greeting: Howdy all! Welcome back to UNION! Man, it's good to be writing again. Everything with the move and all went terrific and I've been trying to get back into the swing of this story again. No doubt after reading this chapter you may have many questions like "What's the deal with Kim's wound?" Feel free to ask your questions, as always, but rest assured I did not write certain things in this story that will be left hanging. I just hate loose ends, but I do love a bit of suspense and intrigue. All explanations will be forthcoming. But again, feel free to ask the questions you might have anyway, it helps me make sure I don't overlook anything…

Many thanks to all who are reading.

Many extra special thanks to those who took the time to review (extra super special thanks to those who left a review for each chapter): Tuscon Coyote, Jezrianna2.0, Visigoth29527, Spooks-a-lot, Zaratan, JPMod, the Incredible Werekitty, MrDrP, aimtbj, Lydia King, Dreammergurl2007, Sestren NK, Porphyria-Kris, Ramafan, Chold Chaos, Kemiztri, Razzle Jazzle, Megan, Widowshark, kpultimatefan, Sand Lord, qtpie235, demon-sword, Pseudojuliet, Texasdad, Nightthreshold, Sean Salazar, Jasminevr, Angle of the Flames.

I would like to take time to thank some really talented artists for drawing some fan art of Ronin, and REUNION. First to Porphyria-Kris who drew my first ever piece of fan art; a really cool depiction of Ronin, then went on to create a cool pic of Kim and a poster for RENUION. Next to Minnesota Mutt (known hereabouts as Nyberger13) who drew a way cool pic of Ronin during a moment of anguish. And finally to Hermit Homeboy, who drew a fantastic pic of Ronin in traditional ninja garb. If you want to see these works for yourself, I left links to them in my profile. Just scroll down and check 'em out, they're well worth the time.

Awright, let's get this party re-started.

With my apologies to Mike Meyers…

* * *

XVII

* * *

The pre-dawn breeze wafted up the shallow valley, fluttering out all the flags, both large and small. The movement of the air did little to relieve the heated tension that seemed thick enough to cut with a spoon. Even the horses could sense it. They stamped nervously or chomped at their bits, eager to begin the impending battle.

Or perhaps eager to just get it over with.

But while the horses moved and twitched nervously, every soldier on this side of the valley stood stock still, staring across the gulf between them and the vast numbers of their enemy. Not just the numbers, of course, they also stared at the strange stone figures that moved about as if alive, or the gigantic stone gorilla, or the flying monkey dragons who moved back and forth over the enemy lines, waiting for the call into battle.

Since the battle in the Buzen province, the monkey dragons had been fitted with bamboo armor so as not to be as vulnerable to arrows. Though it seemed to make flying more difficult, they were now nearly indestructible by any known weapons. They had done their fair share of laying waste to enemy troops.

The combined armies of Ishigawa and Monkey Fist stood on the far side of the Idzumo Valley near the capitol of Mutsu province. They had ravaged their way through the rest of Japan on their way here, learning at last where the Ohana Blades had been taken. Only the comparatively tiny army of the Lord Hidesato stood in the way of Ishigawa's total rule of Japan. The emperor was dead, and his son was only sixteen years old; a whelp next to the awesome might of Ishigawa. Soon, Ishigawa would declare himself Shogun - the military ruler of Japan - and then would be in a position to remove the son of the emperor from the throne and claim it for himself. Already, the people of Japan were well aware of what a harsh master Ishigawa would be once he took the power he so desperately craved.

You may be wondering why Ishigawa would bother with such a minor province. Why not simply take the throne and later conquer Mutsu at his leisure? Ishigawa knew better than to leave any seed of potential rebellion uncrushed. As long as Mutsu was perceived as a free province with a lord loyal to the emperor, Ishigawa's rule would always be subject to the constant threat of revolution. Under him, the Mutsu province would be better controlled, especially once its lord was dead and his head on a spike in front of Mutsu castle for all to see and take heed of the warning.

Ishigawa sat astride his horse, gazing out across the valley at the pitiful little army that stood in defiance of his might. Already he was savoring his impending victory, and was impatient to return to Osaka Castle and declare himself Shogun. He turned his horse and rode over to a nearby wagon. The wagon was bare except for a single wooden pole mounted to the center of it. Chained to that pole was an old man. It was clear he had been deprived of food and sleep for some time, and was probably near death.

"Perhaps today will be the last day of your life, eh Sensei?" Ishigawa asked his captive with complete nonchalance, "Today will be a day long remembered. It will see the death of the legendary warrior known as 'Sensei', and it will see the end of old Japan."

"I do not know," replied the old man weakly. "I was never in the habit of tallying my victories until I had achieved them."

Ishigawa laughed with contempt, "What do you know of victory? Or of achievement for that matter? You're just a crazy old man who sat up on his mountaintop and taught children to hit each other. I have real power, and I will sweep aside Hidesato and his army as I would sweep aside spilled rice from a table top. And when that is done, I will come and take your life from you."

Sensei simply ignored this and gazed out over the valley to the vastly outnumbered army on the opposite ridge. Something was there. Something he could not put into words, but rather felt with a certainty as one feels the blowing of the wind. The Lotus Blade was there, as were the other Ohana Blades. But there was more than that. The Blade was being wielded by someone who knew its power, someone who might even be its master.

Some weeks before, when Ishigawa and his armies had come once again to the gates of Yamanuchi, Sensei had ordered a defense of the school as though they were defending the Blades themselves. If it appeared to Ishigawa that the Blades were within the school, then precious time could be purchased for the Blades to get further and further away. But even to Sensei's surprise, Ishigawa had overwhelmed the school at Yamanuchi with an army of both humans and beings who resembled monkeys. When the discovery was made that the Blades had been taken elsewhere, Ishigawa flew into a rage, killed all within the school except Sensei and took his old master prisoner, intending to learn the secrets of the Blades' powers by any means necessary.

Sensei spent a lot of time enduring a lot of pain.

Further down the enemy lines, a very frightened Fukushima stood next to Monkey Fist who was once again muttering to himself. He did that a lot these days. Over the course of the campaign to conquer Japan, Monkey Fist's behavior had become more and more erratic. Fukushima initially suspected Monkey Fist of losing his sanity. But Fist's behavior was often just as much lucid as it was crazy. He never let anyone else touch the Tempus Simia, never even let the idol leave his grasp. He clutched it at all times, even slept with it firmly clamped between his paws.

Whenever he talked to anyone (other than Fukushima, of course) he seemed perfectly normal and rational. But whenever he was left alone – something Ishigawa did more and more as the war progressed – he would mutter to himself, or lash out at Fukushima at odd moments. One second he'd be quietly sitting in his tent, the next he'd be throwing objects in random directions. Even the monkey ninjas took his abuse at times, but mostly it was directed at Fukushima, for reasons the Yamanuchi outcast did not comprehend.

But Monkey Fist kept his sanity during times of battle and that was all Ishigawa cared about. He was becoming more and more proficient at directing his monkey army in situations that called for a change in tactics. Both Monkey Fist and Ishigawa had agreed to combine their armies for this one last battle. Better to overwhelm the enemy and end the battle quickly, making the search for the Ohana Blades that much easier. Monkey Fist was eager to return to his own time and begin conquering the modern world. After seeing the ease with which he and Ishigawa had conquered Japan, he knew he could subjugate the entire globe to his dominion with his monkey army and this Ohana Wraith, if its rumored powers truly did exist.

At Mutsu Castle, meanwhile, Kim stood with Veronica and Shego atop the wall facing the ridge roughly a mile away up a relatively gentle slope. All Kim could see were the tiny, distant backs of soldiers. Somewhere up there were her husband, son, and daughter-in-law, as well as Yori and even Drakken who – despite his severe wounds - had gone out to observe the battle.

Kim glanced with regret down at her bandaged arm. The deep gash on it still ached and throbbed. Even though Ron had given her a very affectionate goodbye before heading out with the assembled army, she could still feel a remnant of his anger burning toward her. Their goodbye was the first either of them had spoken to each other in days. Kim suddenly felt a rush of dread and remorse. She had apologized for what she'd done, but at the time didn't really mean it, and knew Ron could tell she wasn't being sincere. Now all she wanted to do was run out of the castle, up the slope to the ridge and tell Ron how sorry she was, how much she loved him, and how much she wanted him to be safe.

In fact, the first words he had spoken to her in the last few days was when he came to inform her that he, TJ and Kimono would be marching out with Hidesato's army.

"What?" She yelped, incredulous and afraid, "I thought you said we weren't here to fight this war!"

"We aren't. We're hoping the battle will be a large enough diversion for us to get close enough to Monkey Fist."

"But if you're killed-"

"Then I'm killed." He said firmly. "It's not about fixing the timeline anymore, it's about restoring it. Everyone we know and love is gone along with billions of others. The important thing now is getting to the Tempus Simia by any means necessary."

Silence for a time as Kim considered the ramifications of what Ron had just told her. Tears began to well up.

"Is this where it all ends?" She asked, choking back tears.

Ron stepped to her and took her in his arms, "You and I will never end, KP. As to this whole situation… I don't know. We've never had a mission like this one. I hope this won't be an ending for us… but if it is, I'd rather have my eight months of marriage to you than live a long life without you."

"Then let me go and fight with you," she said with conviction.

Ron shook his head and pointed at her arm, "I would, but you're injured, and it would very likely hold us back. Kimono's going in your place."

"So you've come to say goodbye?"

"Yeah." Ron said quietly. They hadn't even shared a room in the last few days, "I didn't want the last time we saw each other to be a time of anger."

This didn't sound like Ron. It was him – his voice, his speech, his mannerisms – but since he'd arrived and retaken possession of the Lotus Blade, a change had come over him. He seemed to talk in philosophical terms, and seemed less like his old goofball self. Kim supposed that she had probably undergone some inner changes as well. The bottom line was, though, she did not love him any less than she ever did, and she knew the same was true for him.

He held her tighter and she melted against him.

There were tears for a time. Then he picked her up and carried her to the bed and they bonded for what might be the last time, never wanting to be apart again.

That had been the night before. Now, somewhere on the other side of the ridge was a vast army who would likely kill them all at some point. Kim wanted to take her husband by the hand and run away to some remote part of Japan and live out their days together. But somehow she knew Ron would refuse, and deep down she knew she would be ashamed that she had turned her back and fled when her heroism was needed most.

But it just wasn't fair! Why should she and her family be the ones who were supposed to try and save the universe? Why not someone else? But she knew the answer before she even finished the thought in her head. Yes, perhaps some Force, some Entity or Being - or whatever label you wanted to use – had chosen them as the ones who should suffer much in the quest to save the timeline. But she had chosen this for herself as well. She had chosen the life of a hero, and she had volunteered to go after Monkey Fist long before she realized it would be Sensei who sent her, and not Wade and his technology.

Whatever power Fate or Destiny had over the lives of humans, people still had to choose their own paths. Kim remembered Hego once telling her the origins of Team Go, how "Lady Fate came knocking, …and she knocked hard!" But regardless of the summons Fate had issued to Team Go, they still had to choose to follow the path of the hero. And ultimately it turned out that one of their number, their sister, preferred a life of evil, and used her powers for it. Destiny was a powerful force, but it could not overcome Free Will. Kim, and her family, were here by choice, because they had chosen to give their lives as soldiers in the war against evil.

And now they were literally on the front lines.

Again, an aching throb drew Kim's attention back to her arm. Despite the fact that the Magnolia Blades currently slung to her back helped enhance her perception and knowledge of the world around her, they couldn't help her make wise decisions, especially when she rushed headlong into foolish ones. The decision that resulted in the gash on her arm was definitely a foolish one, and she finally felt real remorse over having made it.

Kim closed her eyes, trying to swallow the fear and dread that welled up within her, and said a silent prayer for the safety of her husband, her son, and her daughter-in-law.

Ron stood on the ridge gazing down at the castle just over a mile away. He couldn't tell which of the people standing on the wall was Kim, but he knew she was among the many who stood anxiously awaiting the outcome of the battle.

Ron turned his attention back across the valley and again felt his breath catch in his throat. It wasn't just the vastness of Ishigawa's forces that threatened to overwhelm his senses, it was also the relatively small number of Hidesato's soldiers that stood as the only obstacle to Ishigawa's total rule of Japan, and perhaps Monkey Fist's causing the timeline to completely collapse. Hidesato's army had swelled from thirty to fifty thousand men in the last two weeks. Many refugees and stragglers from other provincial armies already defeated had made their way northward, preferring to fight for Hidesato and the rightful emperor. The hopes of Mutsu Province's people began to rise as they heard tales of the growing numbers of their lord's army. But those hopes were just as quickly dashed when some of the peasants in the southern parts of Mutsu fled north, bringing with them reports of a vast army of men fighting alongside terrible monkey-demons.

And as it turned out, the reports of the size of Ishigawa's army were largely underestimated.

Ron looked across the valley at an army of two hundred and fifty thousand warriors; a sea of warriors that seemed to stretch from horizon to horizon. Ishigawa's flag colors were red with gold lettering, the same color scheme usually reserved for the emperor's personal army. Each soldier had a small flag attached to a bamboo pole slung to the soldier's back. This was the Japanese equivalent of a military uniform, each warrior designated as belonging to either one army or the other. Hidesato's colors were black, with crimson lettering.

The lettering on the flags designated a specific unit and a weapon type. Thus the Daimyo – or 'Chief General' – could order a specific unit with a specific weapon to anywhere on the battlefield when needed. If Hidesato needed the sixth unit of Naginata warriors to relocate to a specific part of the battlefield, a vassal would wave a large flag with large lettering printed on it indicating the specific unit. Then a second and third flag would be waved indicating a place on the battlefield that unit needed to be moved to. Thus, for instance, the first flag would say "sixth unit, Naginata", the second flag might say "one hundred paces" and the third flag might say "West". It was an imprecise system, and often the enemy might catch sight of the signals and relay word back that opposing forces were being shifted on the battlefield, or the unit that needed to be moved would be attacked and too occupied by battle to relocate, but such was the nature of war in the ancient world.

Just about everyone already knew what the outcome of the battle would be. Hidesato's army would be wiped out and Mutsu province would be captured and subjected to Ishigawa's rule.

Ron looked over at his son and his son's wife. They were beginning to become comfortable wielding their Blades. Though he was worried for their safety, he was glad they were here, fighting at his side. Ron had seen TJ do battle with life-sized zombies. He was confident his son and daughter-in-law could handle themselves.

Once Future Wade had explained to him that the timeline was collapsing, Ron asked if there would be any harm in bringing them with him. Wade explained that under normal circumstances he might have a problem with Ron's suggestion. But, since the collapsing of the timeline was not a normal circumstance, Wade didn't see how additional harm could be done. Ron could probably use the help of two top GJ agents like TJ and Kimono. All they had to do was capture the Tempus Simia and use its time traveling capabilities to undo everything Monkey Fist had done. Then it would be as if none of it had ever happened; the timeline would revert back to its proper self.

Ron, TJ and Kimono weren't on the battlefield to try and help win the war – or even the battle - for Hidesato. Their purpose was to attempt to fight their way through the enemy ranks in the hopes of reaching Monkey Fist and the Tempus Simia. Yori and Kintaro, meanwhile, were already miles away to the north, carefully making their way around the battlefield to a position on the far side of Ishigawa's forces. They would attempt to sneak in behind the enemy and reach Monkey Fist in case he decided to hang back during the battle.

If neither of these tactics was successful, then it would be up to Kim, Shego and Veronica to go after the Tempus Simia once Mutsu Castle was captured. As prisoners, they would very likely be closer to the Tempus Simia than the others if they were unsuccessful. Even Shego realized their lives were expendable when it came to reversing the destruction of the timeline.

Ron and his family hadn't intended to fight in the battle at all, but when reports came back to the castle that Monkey Fist would be engaging his army along with Ishigawa's, it was decided to go after Monkey Fist from two positions, one from the front line of the battle, the other from a flank. All of this, of course was for one single purpose:

Destroy the Tempus Simia.

At first, it had been thought they could capture the Tempus Simia and use it to travel to the time period where Monkey Fist had come back to Japan and prevent him from doing so. But Drakken had explained to them one morning that this would be an impossibility. That was the morning he'd crashed his hovercraft into the lake…

* * *

There are a few things the mind is willing to accept. Other things, not so much:

Timeline is collapsing?

Sure.

Universe may be destroyed soon?

Yeah.

Kim and Ron have traveled back in time and are here too?

OK.

Ron first traveled forward in time and brought his grown son and daughter-in-law to help out?

Maybe.

The person helping you out of the water who keeps calling you 'mother' is your grown daughter and she's married to Kim's son thus making you all related?

No.

No way.

Shego dog-paddled until she found her footing on the lake bed and hauled herself dripping out of the chilly water, casting strange sideways glances at the mirror-like image of the woman who seemed oblivious to her stares. A bleary-eyed Kim Stoppable had crawled out of her tent and made her way down to the water's edge, still in disbelief at who had just arrived.

"Shego?" her tone was unabashedly incredulous. Kimono finally quieted down.

"Hello, Princess," Shego mocked, "You're looking…_feral._"

Kim's eyelids lowered, "They don't have showers or razors in this time period. Besides, I've been a little too busy trying to save the universe to shave my legs."

"Oh, so we've graduated from merely saving the world, now?" Shego responded, "Does your ego know no bounds?"

Kim's eyes narrowed menacingly, "Any time you want to-"

"Time out, ladies" Ron said holding up his hands in a 'T' formation, "Let's save the cat fight for later, yeah?"

Two pairs of green eyes glared hotly at him.

Ron was unmoved, "Go on, Shego, you and Dr. D can go warm yourselves by the fire. We'll get your story in a little while. KP, would you help Yori explain to Kintaro who the new arrivals are? Thanks, baby!"

Without waiting for a reaction, Ron turned and looked back out over the lake. The hovercraft was long gone, and even the bubbles from its descent to the bottom were almost finished churning their way to the surface.

"Dude", TJ's voice came from near his shoulder, "This has _got_ to be the weirdest family reunion ever."

Ron chuckled, "Let's see… I'm here with my daughter who's actually four years older than me, and my son who's only two years younger, and my daughter-in-law who's actually the daughter of my wife's arch nemesis. We're trying to protect the Ohana Blades which Monkey Fist wants while trying to get to the Tempus Simia, which Monkey Fist has – which makes this all one huge, deadly game of capture-the-flag – and hopefully keep the universe from destroying itself including the Earth and everything on it. Yep, I think you're right. Although I don't think 'reunion' is quite the right term, since some of us are seeing each other for the first time ever. And you guys have never seen your parents at this age…"

"Good point," TJ agreed, "I guess it's more of a family _union_."

"Union," Ron repeated, "Heh… Well, let's go get some breakfast."

Kintaro couldn't help staring. Neither could Yori to some degree, she'd only seen pictures of Drakken on TV and television didn't quite do him justice.

Or injustice as it were.

But Kintaro looked as though his brain were going to overload. The dark-haired woman with turquoise skin was odd enough, as were these light-haired oddities from another world. But this other woman had greenish skin, and the man she was with had blue skin, and a wild look in his eye. Yori had already assured him they were human, but he was having his doubts.

Shivering, Shego, Drakken, TJ and Kimono got as close to the fire as they dared without burning themselves outright. Ron asked Kintaro through Yori if he felt they could spare an hour or two to get themselves situated and begin making plans. Without taking his eyes off Drakken, Kintaro nodded.

They all divided up the cooked fish, which didn't go as far as anyone would have preferred, and ate in relative silence. Shego kept looking at her daughter, refusing to believe her own offspring would betray her and marry the son of Kim Possible. In addition, she ignored Kimono's attempts to engage her in conversation and finally told her to just go away.

"I don't know who you are, but there is no way you're my child. No child of mine would ever marry a Stoppable." Shego said hotly.

Sulking, Kimono got up and went and sat by her husband. Drakken just stared at the entire proceeding, confused. Kim was about to say something to Shego about her rudeness when she caught a glance from Ron.

_Let them work it out,_ his eyes told her.

After a few minutes munching on fish, they all returned to the water's edge to wash their hands and then moved back to sit around the fire once more.

"I suppose we should all share our information with each other, so we all know exactly what's going on," Ron said nervously. Suddenly he felt like he was speaking in front of a large audience.

"OK," Kim began, "I guess I should start by-"

"Whoa!" Shego interrupted, "Who says you get to go first?"

"I just thought I should-" Kim began

"Boss the rest of us around as always?" Shego mocked.

"Mother!" Kimono protested, "We should at least-"

"Don't call me that," Shego snapped, pointing a finger at her daughter, "I don't know you, and frankly it's a little creepy. For all I know you could be some sort of clone."

Kimono looked as though she'd been slapped in the face, "But-"

"No," Shego cut her off, "Just don't call me that. And stay away from me, I don't want you to-"

Shego was cut off by a low mutter from Drakken. She turned angry, smoldering eyes in his direction, "What did you say?"

"I said 'shut up'," Drakken said in a more forceful tone.

Shego couldn't recall a time when he'd ever spoken to her like that. Sure, he'd issued orders to her that she mostly ignored, and he whined at her, or snapped at her or talked to her in all manner of abruptness, but never like this, not with such quiet authority. She was surprised, and angry at his attitude… and deep down she secretly liked it; not his attitude necessarily, but the fact that he was standing up to her in a way he never had before.

"Excuse me," Shego began, "But-"

"Shut up." he cut her off.

"Hey-!"

"Shut it!" he interrupted lightly.

"You can't-"

"Shut!" he held up a commanding finger. "It!"

"Listen, Drew-!"

Drakken held up his hand to the side of his face in the shape of a phone, "Incoming transmission for Shego: 'Shut it!'"

"You-!"

"Ssssshhhhhhut it!"

"Don't-!"

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T!" Drakken sang, "Find to what it means to… shut it!"

"Bu-!"

"Shut!"

"Yo-!"

"It!"

The others all watched in fascination.

Shego finally gave up in frustration and lapsed into a sulking silence.

"Go ahead, Kimberly," Drakken said calmly, never taking his eyes off Shego. For her part, she returned his gaze unblinking.

Kim picked up a stick and traced a few rectangles in the dirt, then launched into an explanation of the collapsing timeline using Wade's train analogy. The others listened closely, especially Drakken, who seemed keenly interested in the timeline analogy. Yori translated it all to Kintaro as best she could using the analogy of hitched wagons instead of train cars, and for his part Kintaro seemed to understand a great deal of what Kim was talking about. At the very least he grasped the fact that these were humans from another time as opposed to another world, and though science wasn't something he understood, evil certainly was, and Yori decided to simply tell Kintaro that time travel, Monkey Fist's DNA alterations and so forth were simply a sort of magic. After all, there wasn't really a scientific explanation for the power of the Tempus Simia over the stone apes and chimp archers, etc. Some things simply happened, and you had to accept the fact that they did whether you believed it or not.

Kintaro accepted it, and believed that these people were here to stop the half man/half monkey who had joined forces with Ishigawa. Thus they must be warriors fighting against evil, and he would help them in any way he could.

Meanwhile, something in Kim's explanation caught Drakken's attention.

"Explain how this room up on the cliff works," he said to Kim.

She told him she didn't know exactly how it worked, but described to him in detail what She and Yori experienced in Sensei's secret chamber.

"Interesting", Drakken said, nodding his head when Kim finished her story.

"What?" Kim prodded. She had known her arch foe long enough to see that he was thinking about something serious and was about to share it with the rest of them.

Drakken held out his hand to Kim. She handed the stick she'd been drawing with to him. Drakken leaned over and erased all the train cars except one, then drew a straight line out from that one across the area where the other cars used to be.

"I am fairly confident," he began, "That all the other segments of the timeline have collapsed, and that we exist in a sort of 'island in time' if you will. Or to use Kimberly's analogy, we're the last remaining railway car on the track."

The others sat in stunned silence. It was a considerably difficult concept to wrap their brains around; the fact that at some point, there would be no tomorrow, and everyone they knew and loved had been wiped from existence.

"Why are we still here?" Ron asked.

"It would be difficult to say precisely. But I believe it may have to do with the energy signatures of those of us who stepped outside of the timeline; those of us who weren't in this mysterious cliff-side chamber Kimberly spoke of." Drakken explained.

"I'm not sure I understand" Ron urged him to explain further, "How could our being in the past collapse the timeline and yet hold this part of it together."

"Well, it's not. At least, not exactly." Drakken went on, "Each of us has our own timeline that never gets interrupted; one we can't travel around in."

"Ourselves." Kim guessed with the help of the Magnolia Blades slung to her back.

"Precisely," Drakken said nodding, "Our own lives always move forward, no matter where we are in the timeline. We grow older, and at some point, we'll all die. This means our own personal energy signatures are as far along as they can be before we continue to age. It is this particular point in our own personal timelines that holds this section of the timeline together. Our energy signatures are the only ones that have stepped outside of the timeline and then back into it. It is because of that fact that this section of the timeline – the one we currently occupy – has not yet collapsed."

"You said 'yet'," Kim noticed.

"Right," Drakken responded, "Because even though we're holding it together, the effect is only temporary. At some point, the timeline will integrate our energy signatures into itself and begin to collapse once more."

"Which is why we have to get to Monkey Fist as soon as we can," Ron stated.

"Monkey Fist?" Drakken asked, incredulous, "He's the cause of all this?"

"Do you know him?" Kim asked.

"I know _of _him," Drakken said, looking at Shego, who continued to sulk, "But we've never worked together. Although when I think about it… why does it seem like we've worked together? Shego, did we ever conduct any operations with Monkey Fist?"

"No," She said, almost pouting, "But I see what you mean. It does feel like we have, in some weird way. It's almost like déjà vu."

"Yes," Drakken agreed, "That sounds about right. What is this Tempus Simia?"

Kim explained as much as she knew about it. Ron had a few details of his own to add, courtesy of the future version of his friend Wade.

"Wade examined the scan of Monkey Fist you took in the temple, Kim." Ron explained, "And found this sort of 'temporal tether' that keeps the Tempus Simia attached to our time is actually a weird kind of Theta Radiation. He named it but I can't remember what it was called."

"Chronotheta Radiation?" Drakken asked eagerly.

"Yeah!" Ron exclaimed, "That's it. How did you know?"

"I did my doctoral thesis on Temporal Mechanics in college. I'm surprised your father-in-law never told you about it." here he glanced at Kim, "In my thesis, I proposed using a theoretical kind of Theta band radiation that would keep a time traveler tethered to his original time period and thus prevent him from becoming lost in the time stream. I called it 'Chronotheta'. I was given an 'F' by the thesis review board and told to redo my thesis on something less 'based in science fiction' as one professor put it. Looks like I was right… again."

"So how does it work?" Kim asked with genuine interest.

"Theoretically," Drakken went on, "If this Tempus Simia used a Chronotheta tether, it should return Monkey Fist to the precise moment when he left our time."

"Except our time no longer exists," Ron reminded him.

"Right." Drakken agreed. He said nothing for a few seconds and sat, staring at the line he'd drawn straight out from the one remaining rectangle, "But there's something about this mysterious room Kimberly described that intrigues me. Kim, you said it felt like it was some sort of suspended animation, yes?"

"That would probably be the best way to describe it," Kim confirmed.

"But the end result is that you and your friend here never actually stepped outside of the timeline." Drakken insisted.

"Yes," Kim said simply.

"Then I think there is only one solution to all this," Drakken concluded, "This Tempus Simia must be destroyed."

"Can you tell us why?" Ron asked.

Drakken nodded, "If the Chronotheta radiation emanates from this little statue, then smashing it would release the radiation and should cause the tether to become taut. This would trigger a Time Vortex and pull Monkey Fist back into the vicinity of the time we know as our own."

"But-" Ron was about to remind him again of the timeline's collapse.

Drakken held up his hands, "If Kim and her friend did spend the next fifteen hundred years in a sort of stasis chamber, then that tiny part of the timeline remains intact. At least for now."

"You mean the room up on the cliff is still there in other parts of the timeline, even though the rest of the timeline has collapsed?" Kim asked in wonder.

"Right." Drakken confirmed, "And I believe the Chronotheta tether has attached itself to that one remaining bit of the timeline. Thus, if we trigger the tether, Monkey Fist will be pulled back along that remaining bit of the timeline. And since he is the one who caused its collapse, the timeline will very likely begin to re-form around his existence, thus restoring everything as we know it. More or less."

"'More or less'?" Ron queried.

"Cut me some slack," Drakken protested, "I'm basically theorizing here. Granted, the theories _are_ sound…"

"If they're anything like your theories on girl robots, we're all doomed." Shego teased.

"Oh, he is NOT building more Bebes, is he?" Kim asked in semi-horror.

"No," Drakken said indignantly, "I promised not to build any more robot girls and I intend to keep that promise."

"Oh that'll be broken soon enough," All eyes turned to Kimono, "You built me a robot nanny when I was four."

"That seems tame enough," Drakken declared.

"It took over Iceland six months later. Mom and Dad… I mean, Ron and Kim had to go in and keep it from invading Norway." Kimono explained with a grin.

Drakken sighed, "I always wanted Iceland. Even my malfunctioning robots are more successful at taking over stuff than I am."

Kimono, initially hurt by her mother's scorn, perked up again and practically skipped over to where her father was sitting. She slipped an arm through his and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe evil just isn't something you're good at," she said with a sigh.

Surprised at first, Drakken then allowed a small smile to play across his face before becoming aware of the other's stares, especially Shego's angry glare. He seemed to think for a second, then shrugged his free shoulder (so as not to disturb his daughter's affection).

"Will I at least be a good father?" he asked quietly, with more emotion in his voice than he intended to let on.

Kimono squeezed his arm and leaned up to kiss his cheek, "You'll be the best, Daddy."

"Then how come you call them 'Mom and Dad'?" Shego pointed an accusatory finger at Ron and Kim.

"We're her in-laws," Kim said hotly, "What else is she supposed to call us? What do you call _your_ in-laws? Oh, right… I forgot, you don't exactly have any."

Shego was visibly stung by the remark. Her fists flared up in emerald fire. Kintaro's eyes went wide. Shego stood up, glared at Kim, then Kimono and then stalked off.

Even Ron thought the remark was a bit much, "Don't you think that was a little rough, KP?"

"Oh, come on." Kim protested, "She's been a wet blanket ever since she got here. She'll get over it. Can we just get back to the business at hand?"

This seemed to remind Ron of something, "Dr. D, I don't know if you are aware of this, but Wade seemed to think this Chronotheta Radiation of yours might have a dangerous psychological effect on a person."

"Quite right, Ronald," Drakken replied. Ron smiled, still digging the fact that Drakken actually remembered his name, "Long term exposure to Chronotheta Radiation could lead to bursts of psychotic behavior, impaired judgment, skewed thought processes or any number of other psychological effects. These effects wouldn't be noticeable at first, but over time, prolonged exposure could lead to increased mental breakdown. Interestingly enough, the effects aren't permanent. They would eventually wear off."

"Are we talking about the possibility that Monkey Fist isn't even in control of his own actions?" Ron asked.

Drakken shook his head emphatically, "It's not quite like that. The effects of Chronotheta Radiation tend to break down certain inhibitors in the brain that allow us to maintain proper composure. I don't know if I'm explaining this correctly or not. Let's say you have this dark fantasy where you kill a bully, or your boss at work, or something like that. Chronotheta Radiation would suppress the inhibitors that prevent you from turning that fantasy into a reality. And by 'suppress' I don't mean 'eliminate'. It would take some effort, but you could still exert some measure of self-control and not go through with killing the bully, or the boss, or whatever. It would just be a matter of whether you really wanted to or not."

"And it's a good bet Monkey Fist's been exposed for more than a month, from what Kintaro's been telling us about rumors that came to the school at Yamanuchi," Kim contributed, "Monkey Fist seems to have been part of this war since its beginning."

Drakken nodded, "There's no way to know for sure. But in his case, Monkey Fist might be prone to fits of anger, and outbursts of rage. He's spent a lifetime as an English Lord; proper, dignified, reserved. He's probably not acting like his usual self, whatever that is."

* * *

"AHA AHA AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Came a hauntingly familiar shrieking laugh from above.

Ron looked up to see one of the Monkey Dragons swooping low over the battlefield. Monkey Fist was attempting to strike fear into the hearts of Hidesato's army. He rode the enormous flying monkey-thing back and forth across the valley, swooping low at times and shrieking with laughter.

Ron, TJ and Kimono had their masks on. Certainly it would be seen as odd that three ninjas were fighting in the battle, but Ron wanted to avoid being a target due to his and TJ's hair color. Rumor must have gotten out about the wielders of the Ohana Blades, and thus they would be considered choice kills to any enemy soldier.

His thoughts were interrupted by a deafening, frightening sound that sent fear all through him. A cold, sick dread crept up his spine. The enemy had sent up a roar, a battle cry. Imagine a stadium that holds a hundred thousand filled with men all bellowing to their lungs' capacity. Now double that sound and increase it by half yet again. Then throw in the eerie hoots of the Monkey Dragons, and the stony thumps of the apes beating their stone fists against their stone chests.

The forward line of the enemy, a full one hundred and twenty thousand warriors, began advancing across the valley. The shouting ceased, but seemed to hang in the air long after it was over as it echoed back and forth across the valley.

Hidesato's army remained where they were. The lord of the Mutsu Province chose to play defense, and keep the high ground. He ordered his ranks into a large wedge shape, with spear weapons at the tip of the wedge, swords near the middle, and the Zuijen Archers remaining up on the ridge. Already, though the enemy was still well out of range, the archers began firing volleys of arrows into the valley. It was more a show of defiance than an actual tactic, meant to bolster the morale of Hidesato's troops.

Ron, TJ and Kimono accompanied the spear warriors to the very forward edge of the line, almost all the way down onto the valley floor itself. Hidesato's intention was to have the forward tip of the wedge collapse back up the slope, compacting his lines as they withdrew, but doing as much damage to the enemy as possible as they advanced. He had no tactics with which to deal with the stone apes and Monkey Dragons and so chose to conduct the battle as though they didn't exist anyway.

Every one of Hidesato's warriors knew this was an exercise in futility. Their fight was more about honor, so that they would be remembered among the honored dead as those who stood in opposition to Ishigawa's treachery. Retreat was never an option. Retreat meant 'seppuku'; forced suicide, but with dishonor.

Ron's heart raced. Suddenly reality took on a stark clarity. He was in a battle. He wasn't fighting it out with some easily vanquished foe, he was standing in the front ranks of a vastly outnumbered army, and he was very likely going to die.

Monkey Fist swooped low over the battlefield once more, shrieking and laughing.

Ron turned to TJ and Kimono.

"Stay here," He ordered in a low voice.

Ron defiantly stepped through the ranks of spear warriors and strode alone out onto the empty portion of the battlefield, changing the Lotus Blade into a small throwing axe. Though the enemy continued to advance, almost three hundred thousand pairs of eyes turned to look at him.

He'd only get one shot.

"Come on, Monty," Ron muttered to himself, "Come get me. Come on!"

Ron held his fist up in the air.

Monkey Fist spotted him and brought the dragon around in a tight circle, heading straight for him.

Ron raised the axe and readied to throw.

Fist shrieked laughter again as he swooped in low.

Ishigawa's army continued to advance, they were only a few hundred yards away.

For an instant, Ron caught a glimpse of the small stone statue of a monkey nestled in Monkey Fist's arm. He reared back and let the axe fly as hard as he could.

The axe sailed end over end through the air. Monkey Fist caught sight of it and ducked, inadvertently pulling on some of the Dragon's neck hair as he did so. The Dragon mistook this as a signal to turn away and raised its head at the last second. The axe smashed through the bamboo armor and buried itself in the Dragon's forehead just above the eyes.

It was dead before it hit the ground.

Ron tried to dive out of the way of the tumbling Dragon but was too late. A lifeless, flailing dragon limb caught him and slammed him to the ground, rolling him over and over. Monkey Fist tumbled off the Dragon and lost his hold on the Tempus Simia when he hit the ground. It tumbled away from him, but remained undamaged.

A shout went up from Hidesato's army at the sight of what they perceived was the first victory of the battle. The Stranger with the Lotus Blade had already felled a Monkey Dragon. This was a sign of good fortune.

But not from Ron's perspective. He struggled to his feet, dazed, but realizing he'd missed the idol and the Tempus Simia was still whole.

His mask had come off.

"Stoppable?… STOPPABLE?" Came a shriek from a few yards away, "NO! IT CAN'T BE YOU!"

Ron weakly raised his hand and called the Lotus Blade to him. With some difficulty, it wrenched itself from the dragon's skull and sailed through the air to his waiting grasp.

"HOW IS IT THAT YOU ARE HERE?" Monkey Fist screamed, then realized he'd lost his precious idol, "Where is it? WHERE IS IT?"

Ron changed the Lotus Blade into a sledge hammer, "It's over, Monty! This ends now!"

Dark fire blazed up in Monkey Fist's eyes. He lunged at Ron and rapid-punched him several times, causing Ron to lose his grip on the Lotus. He dropped, but only for a second.

Ron felt the mystical monkey power coursing through him. He spun, sweeping his leg at Fist's. But Monkey Fist leaped into the air, avoided Ron's sweeping leg, and somersaulted backward, tumbling end over end several times. Ron stood up and sprinted after Fist, but he was a good fifteen feet behind him.

Fist dove to the ground and came up with the Tempus Simia. He tucked it into his arm and made to retreat when an idea seemed to occur to him. He stopped, turned around and held up his hand.

The Lotus Blade sailed through the air and came to rest in Monkey Fist's paw.

Forgetting everything, Ron pulled up short in surprise.

A loud hooting howl came from overhead. Another dragon swooped in low, clutched Monkey Fist in its talons and flew off.

Stunned, Ron held up his hand, but the Blade did not come to him.

Monkey Fist flew off shrieking and laughing, "Farewell, Stoppable! Thanks so much for the parting gift!"

"Dad!", came the distant, alarmed voice of TJ.

Dazed, Ron turned his head toward Hidesato's line, then suddenly back to Ishigawa's warriors.

The enemy was upon him.


	19. XVIII

Author's apology: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I'm still trying to find a good writing routine that works for me…and, admittedly, I have been enjoying my new home a lot (last night – which was Tuesday as I write this – I was at Safeco Field watching the Mariners stomp all over the Yankees. Oh how I hate the Yankees.) as well as having fun with my DevArt page. And I'm afraid it's going to be like this for some time until I get really settled back into this story. Lately I've had a difficult time trying to motivate myself to get any writing done when all I want to do is explore the Seattle area. Anyway, that's my long-winded explanation as to why the chapters will be posted with a little more infrequency. I will do my best not to let a whole week go by again… but no promises.

Also: These first few chapters of act three are somewhat short and bland because I am trying to build to the climax of the entire story on the heels of the climax of act two. Just so you know.

And finally: Sorry about all the time travel techno-babble in the last chapter. I considered spreading it out over the course of a few chapters but chose instead to get the last of it crammed into one chapter so we can get on with the final act of UNION. The good news is: no more long-winded time travel explanations… I think.

Story spotlight: reader WesUAH has a terrific story that manages to successfully blend the flavor of a spy novel with fantasy elements. It's called "The Fallen" and you can find a link to it in my favorite stories list. Check it out.

Thanks much to my peeps: AndyCosta, TusconCoyote, Zaratan, The Incredible Werekitty, JPMod, Dreammergurl2007, mattb3671, demon-sword, MrDrP, aimtbj, Recon228, Sestren NK, Porphyria-Kris, LKillingsworth, kpultimatefan, Megan, Visigoth29527, Widow Shark, and cwizard.

Thanks to those who are reading.

"News flash, Shego, I'm a bad man!"

* * *

XVIII

* * *

From Ron's perspective it was as though everything had gone silent, and reality had taken on a slow-motion sort of quality.

A roiling, turbulent sea of Japanese warriors was bearing down on him like a human tsunami. The faces of those in the front ranks were twisted into murderous rage; all eyes were upon Ron Stoppable. Indeed, miles away on either side, the ends of the enemy lines began to curl inward as Ishigawa's soldiers all wanted to be the ones to kill the golden-haired stranger and win favor with their lord.

Having been distracted by his brief battle with Monkey Fist and the dragon, Ron hadn't noticed the forward ranks of Ishigawa's army had broken into a run.

He was still too shocked, dazed, confused. And yet, cognizant thought still flew through his mind, abstract though it was.

Ron, in fact, hadn't noticed much of anything since losing the Lotus Blade. His mind was trying to comprehend how and why Monkey Fist would be able to make off with such a prize. Yes, he had the mystical monkey power, but didn't the Blades choose their masters? If so, did this mean the Blades were evil entities after all? Or was evil just more powerful?

He stood staring after the Blade that was grasped in Monkey Fist's paw. Monkey Fist himself was grasped in the talon of a Monkey Dragon, and Ron could see it all with stark clarity. After all, the Dragon was still only some twenty feet from him. His hand went up again, calling the Blade to him.

And still it did not come.

Ron felt the breeze ruffling through his hair. He felt anguish only at having lost the Blade. He did not notice the tens of thousands of warriors all about to crash upon him in a deadly wave. He saw only the Lotus Blade, and the paw that clutched it.

To Ron he did not just lose an item. It was almost like he'd lost an old friend. A friend he'd been recently reunited with and then was cruelly taken from him.

Many images flashed through Ron's mind; Sensei opening up the case to show him the Blade for the first time at Yamanuchi when he was in high school. He saw the Blade as it fell in to the chasm after Fukushima had knocked it from his grasp. He remembered the Lotus Blade as it looked when it sailed through the wall to his grasp that day he decided to return to Middleton and seek out Kim. He saw the misty, swirling apparition of the giant Lotus Flower as it held the behemoth Deathray Battlebot in its grasp. And he remembered the Lotus Blade literally becoming an extension of him as he wavered between taking Ray Beam's life and sparing him. Finally, Ron remembered the flash of light as the Lotus Blade disappeared, only to learn later that it had returned to Yamanuchi, it's destiny apparently no longer intertwined with his.

Or so he thought.

But something about his reunion with the Lotus Blade upon his arrival in ancient Japan made him feel somehow whole again, or complete. But that idea was instantly dismissed in Ron's mind. It was Kim who made him feel complete. Perhaps it was best described as the Lotus making him feel like a complete warrior.

Yes, that was it. The old Ronin had returned, and Ron had welcomed that part of himself back into his life.

But now, it was gone again.

The sun was just edging above the mountains to the east. Wisps of steam rose from the dew on the meadow as the day's temperature began to rise. The light breeze ruffled the grass, fluttered out flags, and tussled Ron's hair.

"Dad!", TJ's voice again, very faint, very distant.

Ron stood alone; a black figure with yellow hair in the early morning light, amidst a deep green meadow, staring up into the sky as a horde of raging warriors bore down upon him.

Then darkness filled Ron Stoppable's world.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me."

Ron shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know what else to say, Kim. I can only tell you what I saw. Whatever method Sensei used to call up the Ohana Wraith was not in my dream."

Late morning, the day Drakken and Shego arrived, and Kintaro had finally insisted they break camp. Ishigawa would surely be at or near the gates of Yamanuchi by now, and when he discovered the Blades were not there, search parties would certainly be sent out.

It was at that point that Kim suggested they use the Ohana Blades to summon the Ohana Wraith and send it out to destroy Ishigawa, Monkey Fist, and the Tempus Simia itself.

But Ron had never seen that part of the process in the dreams Sensei had sent to him, and thus had no idea how to call up the Wraith. Apparently it was a secret Sensei kept to himself. Kintaro knew of the Ohana Wraith, but did not know how to call it up, whether it be some spell, or catchphrase or whatever.

Though Kintaro insisted they get moving, Ron suggested his family take a moment and bring the tips of the blades together, all of them touching, to see if anything happened.

Nothing.

"Maybe there's some magic words involved." Veronica suggested.

"Abra Cadabra?" Kim queried.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos," Ron suggested.

"Mecha Lecha Hi, Mecha Hiney Ho!" Kimono contributed with a grin.

"Cheese Doodles." TJ proclaimed. Everyone looked at him, "Hey, it's no worse than what you guys came up with."

They all stood there a moment, feeling rather silly huddled in a circle with their sword tips touching. But the five of them did feel something besides self-consciousness. None of them could quite figure out what it was, though later it would come to light. In that moment, they weren't just five members of the Stoppable family, they were something more, something none of them could quite put into words. They felt a bond, a connection that went deeper than family. They were-

"You guys gonna stand there posing all day?" Shego asked, "I think this Kintaro guy would like to move out."

And the moment was broken. The Stoppables all looked at each other, knowing something had just happened but not knowing what.

They weren't the only ones to notice, of course. Shego saw it, and though she still wanted to deny the younger, raven-haired beauty was her daughter, she couldn't help seeing a lot of herself in Kimono. But there was more than that. Shego saw in Kimono what she herself might have been.

A true hero.

A creeping, haunting sort of regret began to steal its way into Shego's mind. What could have become of her life if she'd just stayed with her brothers? Heroism? Self-respect? Perhaps even friends with Kim Possible instead of enemies? Since she'd helped Kim and Ron defeat Ray Beam and his plans for world conquest, Shego had come to discover she hated Kim Possible a little less.

And for some self-conflicting reason, that perceived softness toward Kim made a deeper part of Shego hate her just a little more. It was an inner turmoil that plagued her, even haunted her in her sleep. She and Kim had been enemies for well over ten years, and this morning, she'd met her daughter who not only called Kim 'Mom', but also had married – would marry - a Stoppable offspring. Even that made her hate Kim just a little bit more. If it weren't for the urgency of the matter at hand, Shego would probably be fighting her old nemesis right now.

Why did some people get the fairytale life? Why did Kim get to have it all, even getting Shego's own daughter for her own? It wasn't the fact that she'd had a daughter by Drew… well, OK that was a little disturbing as well. Yes, she thought she might have blossoming feelings toward Drakken, but having a child with him… that didn't exactly leap to the forefront of her mind.

But what really galled her about Kimono was the betrayal. How could she? How could she call Kim Possible 'Mom'? How could she even marry into that family? Somewhere in the timeline that existed before Monkey Fist corrupted it, Shego apparently had a gradual softening of the heart, and raised a daughter with Drew… and with contributions from Kim and Ron. But this wasn't gradual, it was just too abrupt for Shego to accept.

No.

Whatever happened, Shego decided that if she returned to her own time with Drew, she'd leave him, and go find her own life in the world. No Drew, and no daughter. Not ever. And that would be her final revenge on Kim Possible. She would deny Kim's son his happiness, she would deny him the existence of his wife.

She allowed herself an evil little smile and began to get ready for their journey.

Shego wasn't the only one who witnessed the moment within the Stoppable family. Yori saw it too. And she actually perceived better than anyone what had just happened. Five masters of the mystical monkey power had begun to form a bond that strengthened their already tight family ties. Never before had so many people at once possessed the powers of Tai Xing Pek Wah. Yori knew this because Sensei had told her time and again that only Ron Stoppable and Monkey Fist possessed that power.

But Sensei had lied to her. He hadn't told Yori that he himself was a master of the mystical monkey power, or that he was immortal. Yori began to feel like she had no true friends or family in the world. Sensei had not been honest, and Ron had turned his back on her. Now Ron had a proud, strong family gathered around him; people who would no doubt put their lives on the line for him.

There was no one for Yori; no one she could call friend, or husband.

Jealousy burned deep within her, but she did her best to push those feelings away.

Ron should have been hers; this family should have been hers. But Yori was an orphan, and she felt as though she would stay an orphan for life.

"We must make ready to continue our journey," Yori said with a cold edge in her voice, "We can no longer afford to lose any time."

As the others finished packing what little needed to be carried, Drakken stood at the edge of the tree line and looked wistfully out at the lake. Kimono came to stand by him, not saying anything but smiling up at him as he turned to see who it was. He returned her smile.

Drew was quite taken with her. He, too, found the idea of a child with Shego somewhat strange, yet there she was; so much like her mother, and yet so different. It was as though all the rough edges had been strained from Shego to leave this warm-hearted, yet mischievous young woman. He could tell the moment he looked at her that she was a caring person, who could just as easily put a thumbtack on your chair while you weren't looking, and yet her smile would be genuine and friendly.

Drakken was still his old villainous self, but somewhere in that lump of stone he called a heart there was instantly a soft spot for his daughter. She seemed happy, and apparently was successful at what she did. That she was in the hero business was incidental as far as Drakken was concerned. Secretly, Drakken hoped none of his offspring would go into supervillainy.

It wasn't exactly an easy life.

But she was happy, and she loved her husband, and her father… and then it occurred to him, Drakken discovered just exactly why he had a soft spot for Kimono. It was because somehow, despite having Drakken and Shego for parents, Kimono had turned out OK. Sure, what little Drakken had heard thus far was that Kimono spent a good portion of her high school years with Kim and Ronald. But high school was essentially the last four years of childhood, which meant Kimono had spent the bulk of her formative years with her parents, and look how she turned out.

In all his failed attempts to take over the world – or build a better robot girl - it seemed as though he'd done one thing right: his daughter. At least, he felt he _must_ have done something right because she had Drakken and Shego for parents and she actually loved them. Yes, she called Kim and Ron 'Mom' and 'Dad', but Drakken knew there was only one 'Daddy' in Kimono's universe, and he was it. Somewhere deep within him, Drew Lipski, AKA Dr. Drakken, was perfectly fine with having just that one success in his life. Indeed, to achieve that success would take an eighteen-year long operation which would no doubt prove as challenging as attempting to take over the Earth. He was being given a rare opportunity to look into his future and know for certain he'd successfully raised a daughter.

Score one for the bad guy.

"Anything wrong?" Kimono asked him quietly. She'd heard him sigh but wasn't sure what it was about.

Drakken considered sharing with her what he'd been thinking, but that sounded dangerously close to talking about his feelings. Supervillains just didn't do that.

"I'm going to miss my hovercraft", he told her instead, nodding his head in the direction of the lake, "I almost had it paid off."

"I thought you built it," Kimono said conversationally.

"No," Drakken admitted, "I bought it in an online auction from some kid… a Jimmy Electron… Jimmy Micron… something like that. When he found out I was villain, he tacked on a huge interest rate. Cost me more than ten years worth of payments."

"I'm surprised you made any payments, you being a supervillain and all," Kimono observed.

"Yes, well, I actually did skip out on a few payments. But this Jimmy Nucleus kid sent some sort of mechanical dog after me," Drakken rubbed his behind with nostalgic pain, "I decided it was better to just pay for the thing."

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I think we're ready to get going," came TJ's voice behind them.

TJ was pleased to see his wife beaming after the disastrous meeting with Shego. Kimono slipped an arm through her father's, and another through her husband's and the three of them set out after Kintaro and walked like this for awhile.

"So tell me something," Drakken asked his son-in-law, "Are you her sidekick?"

"Actually, I'm his sidekick," Kimono said with a wink at her husband.

"Don't you believe her, sir," TJ said with a smile, "We're partners… in everything."

"Please," Drakken said with a dismissive wave of his free hand, "Just call me Drew."

"Actually," TJ said a little shyly, "I usually call you 'Pop'."

"'Pop'", Drakken said hesitantly, "Hmmm… OK, I approve. You were saying…?"

TJ began telling Drakken all about their work as GJ agents.

Shego walked behind the three of them in a sulking silence, consoling herself that at some point, she would be rid of the lot of them. Watching them behave like such idiots threatened to drive her mad. Shego began to entertain the idea of simply parting company with them before this mission was accomplished. After all, she could probably conquer this world fairly easily, and live like a queen.

Dark thoughts began to take shape in Shego's mind.

Up front, Kintaro walked quietly beside Yori, stealing secretive glances at her from time to time. Her beauty and quiet inner strength had found a way into his heart, and he began to believe he would not be happy unless he could spend the rest of his days with her. Yori, for her part, sensed his feelings for her, and was aware of every one of his glances. But any consideration she might have had for him was always crowded out by the thought that, if they were successful in their mission, she would have to return to her own time without him, and live in a world where the one she loved belonged to someone else.

Ron walked along by himself, taking the time to get reacquainted with the Lotus Blade. Just the feel of it in his hand stirred his blood. Somewhere deep within him, Ronin was ready to come out and play.

Kim, in the meantime, was making a new friend; her daughter Veronica. Kim decided she was not going to conduct herself in the same manner Shego had treated her own daughter. It was strange enough to think of this woman as her daughter since she was actually four years older. Stranger still to think of the reality that where Kim had almost married Ray Beam, her daughter actually had been his wife. And perhaps strangest of all was the almost mirror-like image that was so like her, and yet so different. Veronica had her mother's strength of character, but it had been smothered in a marriage to a monster. Kim saw in Veronica what she herself might have been had it not been for the return of Ron Stoppable, in the nick of time no less. Then it occurred to Kim that Veronica might actually not be living if it hadn't been for the return of Ron Stoppable… in the nick of time no less.

Kim asked Veronica to tell her story again, this time in much more detail, and simply listened quietly. Veronica initially had some difficulty speaking. This was not the Kim Stoppable she had left in her own time; a sixty-four year old woman whose spirits had been crushed by the death of her husband and living twelve years without him. Indeed, it wasn't even the older, mellower woman she knew as her mother growing up. This was a fiery, young hero with a fierce gleam of strength in her green eyes. This was the Kim Possible that had vanquished Drakken countless times and still made it back to Home Room in time to turn in her homework.

Next to this younger version of her mother, Veronica felt almost ashamed that she'd been trapped in a marriage with the same man her mother managed to escape from. Kim never would have let any man treat her the way Ray had treated Veronica, and in her mind, Veronica heard the laughter of her dead husband as he scoffed at her weaknesses. More than once did Veronica break into tears as they walked. She tried to keep them to herself but once or twice couldn't help it.

It took Veronica a couple of hours and some ten miles worth of walking to tell her story. Eventually, she was the only one talking. Most of the others found themselves listening in without meaning to. Though, when she cried they tried to act as though they weren't paying any attention to Veronica, so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable, or feel like the unwanted center of attention.

The second time Veronica's tears came, however, Shego snapped.

"Would you shut her up already?" She seethed at Kim, "I'm getting tired of listening to this self-pity fest."

The party halted. Kim turned slowly toward Shego, clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes.

Shego didn't let her speak, but continued on, mocking Veronica, "'Oh, poor me! Poor little me! Ray Beam was a big meanie. Boo hoo hoo!'"

Kim and Shego squared off. Shego raised her clenched fists, but caught a light in the corner of her eye. Kimono's hands were ablaze with turquoise fire, fury was carved into her face. Shego flared up her own fists, but was suddenly self-conscious as she realized her own green light was pale and weak next to the intensity of Kimono's power.

And then, to the astonishment of them all, Kimono's eyes turned blue/green.. Not just her jet-black pupils and irises, but the entirety of her eyes were filled with a blazing turquoise brightness. Whatever mysterious power she inherited from her mother was being affected by the presence of the mystical monkey power within her. Kimono's clenched fists glowed even brighter as she advanced upon her mother, her teeth bared in a snarl.

"That is my sister. Don't mock her again," her voice had a tone of utter authority, "You know full well what Veronica has been through, because you endured some of the same yourself. Yet she survived it for a full seven years. You and I both know you wouldn't have lasted that long. So don't you ever… EVER… make fun of her relationship with Ray Beam again. At least she has to courage to talk about it. You never did."

And abruptly, Kimono's eyes were their proper black color once more, the fire from her fists winked out instantly. Kimono turned a cold shoulder to her mother and began to walk away.

Shego's fear was suddenly replaced by rage. She had been wounded in the worst possible place.

Her pride.

Shego's fists blazed up again, still looking pale even after Kimono's hands and eyes had ceased their glowing, and lunged at the back of her daughter.

"How dare you-!" she snarled.

"NO!" came a shout from nearby.

Shego caught movement in her periphery and pulled up short. It hadn't come from Kim.

A blade at the end of a long spear shaft sliced through the air a mere inches from Shego's face, it sailed downward and struck the ground.

Veronica had simply reacted, meaning to put the shaft of the spear out in front of Shego and halt her advance on her daughter. But for some reason, the weapon suddenly felt very heavy and it continued its downward arc. She let out a yelp when the Blade hit the ground. So did several others.

There was a roaring, explosive sort of noise very similar to a sonic boom. The earth shook beneath them while the ground split open and a crack traveled fast as lightning to a nearby tree. The tree burst into splinters with an ear-splitting explosion, forcing the entire party to crouch and shield their eyes.

Then all was quiet.

Everyone stood stunned for a few minutes. The fire had gone out of Shego's fists, the anger out of her eyes. The others were equally speechless and a little taken aback, Veronica most of all. She stood quivering with a tentative hold on the shaft of the spear, the Blade dragging on the ground.

"I think it's time you told us how these things work," TJ said to his father.

"I have no idea how they work," Ron said, perplexed, "I only know the Lotus Blade. I never knew other Blades existed until yesterday."

"What about Kintaro?" Kim asked turning to Yori, "He was a student at the school. What does he know about them?"

Yori relayed the question to Kintaro…

As the others talked, Drakken sidled quietly up to Shego.

"Don't do that again," he said in a low voice.

"I think I've had just about enough of you giving me orders, Dr-"

"No," he cut her off, "I give you orders all the time. What you're upset at is that I expect you to follow them. Up until now you were content to choose which of my orders to follow whenever it suited you or served your purpose… No, don't try to argue with me, I know you better than that. I saved your life by bringing you here. Now we must do what we can to restore the timeline."

Shego simply glared at him with cold green eyes.

Drakken was unfazed.

"Since we got here, you've been nothing but counterproductive," Drakken continued, then nodded in Kimono's direction, "You don't like her, fine. I do. But I care a great deal for you as well, Shego. I don't want to have to choose between the two of you."

A malicious grin spread across Shego's face, "Did it occur to you that maybe there won't be any children when we return to our own time? Maybe you and I aren't such a good idea together after all. I split, and she never exists. How do you like them apples, Drew Lipski?"

The evil mirth went out of Drakken's eye. The look on his face was cold, hard steel. Only one other time had she seen him look like that; when he was exacting his vengeance upon Ray Beam.

"Did it occur to you that maybe she isn't your daughter?" He said coldly.

Shego's eyebrow went up, "She calls me 'mother'."

"You?" Drakken said almost casually, "Or your clone?"

"You wouldn't."

"I already have."

"Where is it?"

"Well, 'they' are gone now, along with the rest of the timeline. But normally they're…well, it's not like I'm going to tell you, now is it?" Drakken's voice was filled with quiet menace.

"I told you no clones," she hissed.

"Oh, look who expects someone to follow her orders," Drakken said with no small amount of sarcastic irony. "Go ahead, strike out on your own. Your recent track record of solo work isn't exactly a positive indicator of future performance."

"When we get back, I'll find the clone and destroy it." Shego growled.

"You mean destroy 'them'?" Drakken almost sneered.

"Whatever. Yes."

"Fine," He said somewhat disinterestedly, "Start with the one in the mirror."

"The wh-" Shego's mind practically went blank.

Drakken turned and began to walk away. A black-gloved hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"It's a lie," Shego hissed, "I am not a Shego clone."

"True," Drakken admitted shrugging his shoulders, "At least in the sense that you're not a clone of the original Shego. You're actually Shego number…oh…fifty-five or fifty-six, I can never remember."

"Explain," she demanded.

"You're a genetically altered clone, distantly related to the original Shego. Over the years you've been killed in battle with GJ agents or arch foes… Remember that time Team Impossible captured me? They actually eliminated you. I altered your memory so it seemed as though you escaped, hit out, and busted me out of jail. And yes, Kim's killed you once or twice but she never knew it, you died later from sustained injuries. Sometimes you were killed while trying to steal something for me. I actually lost more Shegos that way than in combat."

"But I remember-"

"-everything every Shego clone has ever experienced," He finished her argument for her, "Save for the actual moment of your deaths. I always delete that from memory. Then I download the Shego brain into a new clone and life goes on. As I said, you're number fifty-five or fifty-six.."

"No."

"Yes," Drakken insisted, "Think about it. Why have you stayed with me all these years? I instilled a loyalty protocol into your brain that overrides any feelings you have of leaving. Even now you're having doubts about whether leaving me is such a good idea."

Shego was disturbed to realize he was right… about the doubts at least.

"Oh yes, sometimes an occasional clone has been able to override the protocol and leave me for a little while, but she…you…always came back. That loyalty protocol is embedded deep within your system. Right now it's working to suppress these feelings you have of leaving me, and in the end, you and I will be together like always. Or… I can simply deactivate you and start fresh." Drew looked over at Kimono, "You know, there's no telling who her mother will end up being. Well, it'll be you, of course, but there's no telling which version of you it'll be, eh? At least _she's_ an original."

Drakken tucked his arms behind his back and walked away whistling, silently congratulating himself. Just now, he'd given Shego a lot more to think about than just trying to erase his daughter from existence.

That ought to keep her busy.

And it certainly did. Shego was stunned speechless, and tried to wrap her mind around the new reality of her existence. From her perspective it was as though her brain had received some sort of error message and the program currently running would now close.

Kintaro, in the meantime, was just finishing with an explanation of all he knew about the Ohana Blades, including whispered rumor and legend, some of which seemed to confirm what just happened with the Cactus Blade Veronica was wielding.

Kim shared with them what Sensei had told her of the Magnolia Blades, and how they enhanced her perception and knowledge. What little experience she had with them, though, indicated that the Blades did not just simply give her knowledge she did not know, but rather helped her mind function more efficiently. She could literally remember anything she had ever been told or read or heard, etc. and she was able to put seemingly abstract facts together to form a conclusion where she otherwise would not have been able to do so.

"In fact," she concluded, "I know it's going to rain tomorrow based on the feel of the air; the humidity and the wind patterns. And I don't know a thing about meteorology, at least not under normal circumstances."

Ron grinned at her, "What exactly is 'normal' for us?"

"Good point," she said winking at him. "One more thing. Sensei said the Lotus Blade was the 'chief' – his word according to Yori – among the Ohana Blades, but he didn't know why. It was just a feeling he had."

Ron nodded and looked again at his own weapon. Why would this one be chief among the others? All this one could do was change shapes. The Cactus Blade could induce small earthquakes and the Magnolia seemed to make you smarter. What was shape-shifting compared to that?

"Guess we should see what these can do," TJ said, holding up the Black and White Orchid Blades.

* * *

A roaring filled Ron's ears. He began to wonder if this was what the point of death was like.

"Dad!"

He stumbled back a couple of steps before he realized he was still standing, still conscious.

"Dad, snap out of it!"

Ron looked dazedly around, and saw his son next to him, waving one of his arms out in front of him in the darkness.

Darkness, and yet he could see TJ. What was happening?

"Here," TJ said with utmost urgency in his voice, "Take this."

TJ held out the white handled Orchid Blade that Kimono had been carrying. Ron numbly reached forward and grasped it.

Roaring again, and this time the stomping of feet. Ron felt disoriented.

"Stay with me, Dad," TJ called out. He figured his father was dazed from the collision with the dragon.

TJ stopped waving his arm and suddenly light came back into Ron's world. He'd been enveloped in a sort of shadowy darkness generated by the Black Orchid Blade TJ was wielding. The darkness dissipated almost instantly and Ron was able to look about him and realize what had happened.

Both armies had seen Ron take down the Monkey Dragon, and had witnessed the brief struggle between Ron and Monkey Fist.

But Ishigawa's army had built up a healthy fear of Monkey Fist over the course of the war and seeing this lone stranger go after him struck some real hesitation into their resolve.

But still they came.

Then they saw Monkey Fist carried off by another Monkey Dragon while the stranger remained living. Indeed, the Stranger had stood with his fist in the air as the demon Monkey Fist took flight. Clearly this warrior was challenging Monkey Fist to return and face him.

In the minds of both armies, Monkey Fist was retreating. In fact, as Monkey Fist left the battlefield with his new prize, he called all his monkey warriors to him through the Tempus Simia and withdrew them back to the camp they had established the night before.

In Monkey Fist's mind, he'd already won his first real victory. He'd taken a prized possession away from his arch foe.

But to the rest of those on the battlefield, save for Ron, he was retreating in fear and dishonor.

The advance of Ishigawa's troops began to falter.

Then, unseen and unheard by Ron, the air around him began to sizzle and hiss. One hundred and ten of those enemy warriors nearest Ron suddenly fell as they ran, never to get up again. The Zuijen Archers finally had targets in range and set to work.

Ishigawa's troops hesitated, some of those behind tripping over those who'd been felled by the archers. A second volley of arrows came in and one hundred and eight more enemy warriors were brought down, all of them within striking range of Ron.

Suddenly, a shadowy blackness bloomed upon the space where Ron had been standing. TJ and Kimono both had run forward to help him. TJ began waving the Black Orchid Blade back and forth in slashing movements. To Ishigawa's warriors, it was as though a hole had opened up in the air and swallowed the strange warrior. The blackness began to spread outward. They could see nothing within it, and had no idea if the yellow-haired warrior was still there.

Ishigawa's troops halted altogether.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. Ishigawa's warriors had become accustomed to easily won victories thanks to the terror-inducing presence of Monkey Fist's army. But he had retreated, apparently knowing something the rest of them did not.

Another shout went up from Hidesato's army as they saw Ishigawa's forward lines halt outright while the Monkey demon retreated from the field of battle. Hidesato ordered his troops to advance.

It was not an order that needed to be given twice.

With a deafening battle cry that seemed to dwarf even the earlier shout of Ishigawa's much larger army, the massive wedge shape of Hidesato's forces began to move forward.

In the meantime, Ishigawa's soldiers were treated to quite an impressive sight. At least it would have seemed impressive to anyone but them.

From the shadow emerged a beautiful woman with waist-length ebony hair and a look of fury carved upon her face. Her hands were clenched into fists that, for the time being, hung at her sides. She took determined, resolute strides toward the enemy line and then halted a short distance from them. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with a blazing, greenish fire, her fists ignited with a fiery intensity that made the enemy soldiers nearest to her squint.

Another volley of arrows, another one hundred and fifteen soldiers fell.

Kimono stretched out her hands before her and, with a shout, unleashed her blazing fury on the enemy line. Beams of blue/green energy surged forth from her hands and eyes in unwavering intensity. The soldiers unfortunate enough to take the brunt of her attack were hurled violently backward. They slammed into the troops behind them and either knocked them down as well, or were inadvertently killed by falling on their weapons. Kimono spread her arms outward in slow arcs, swathing the enemy, pushing soldiers back or hurling them through the air.

Suddenly the shadow behind her dissipated and two warriors - one the golden-haired stranger they had seen defeat the Monkey Dragon, the other an orange haired man who bore a slight resemblance to the first – came charging forth on either side of her with weapons in their hands. Close behind them was Hidesato's army which had broken into a run, though they still loosely held the shape of the wedge.

Blind panic spread like wildfire through Ishigawa's forces. They turned and retreated like rats pouring out of the hold of a doomed ship. They tripped over each other, such was their desire not to face the strange warriors, or Hidesato's fierce army for that matter. Many soldiers were simply trampled.

Most of the enemy warriors in the rearward lines had only seen Monkey Fist fly overhead, but had not witnessed the ensuing events. They were surprised at the crushing sea of humanity that collapsed back upon them. Fearing some sort of major catastrophe, they too began to retreat.

The three Stoppables were unsure of what to do at this point, their sole purpose was to get to the Tempus Simia, but at present, that was not an option. Should they continue fighting or withdraw from the field?

TJ seemed to sense what they were all thinking.

"I think our only option right now is to fight," He called out to them, "We can't get to Monkey Fist, but if we can help defeat this army, that would increase the necessity for Monkey Fist to get more involved in future battles. Who knows? We might even win and put Fist on the defensive."

TJ had his mother's practicality. Even though Ishigawa's army was in retreat, he knew they would regroup at some point if they were simply allowed to leave the battlefield unscathed. And fewer enemy soldiers meant less protection around Monkey Fist. Ron and Kimono realized the wisdom in this. Though their first instinct was to allow the enemy to retreat, sometimes nobility had to be subjugated to necessity.

Ron held up the unfamiliar White Orchid Blade and decided to see if it would function for him. He uttered a cry and slashed the air in front of him in a horizontal arc. Blinding white light burst forth in a semi-circular shockwave that spread before him like the aftereffects of an explosion. The light-wave broke over the enemy and spread out in an ever-widening arc before dissipating after a few seconds. To the enemy, it was like receiving a camera flash at point blank range (had they known what a camera was, of course). Those hit by the light arc were temporary blinded and began to stumble and crash into others around them.

Confusion became the master of Ishigawa's forward ranks.

Then, with a shout and a sickening collision of metal and bodies, Hidesato's army plunged into Ishigawa's lines and began drastically reducing the number of enemy warriors.

Kimono ceased her onslaught and switched to selectively blasting enemy soldiers while Ron and TJ plunged into the fray. The battlefield was a turmoil of grunts, screams, clanging metal, blinding white light, gaping black shadow, and turquoise fire.

Up on the ridge, sitting on his horse, Hidesato allowed himself the barest hint of a smile. He had ridden out on the field of battle with the knowledge that he would finish the day as Ishigawa's prisoner, and be dead by nightfall. But the presence of these strange warriors had turned the tide of the battle. Despite his misgivings, and the humiliating indignity he had suffered at the hands of the orange-haired woman who was the wife of the yellow-haired warrior, they had proven themselves skillful in matters of combat.

But the time for savoring victory would come later. Hidesato turned to his Daimyo – his chief general – and found a strange look of concern upon the man's face. His name was Masaharu, and he had fought at Hidesato's side since they were young warriors together in the Mutsu provincial army. He was a master tactician and Hidesato trusted him implicitly.

"What troubles you, Masaharu-san?" The Daimyo was the only person Hidesato addressed with such a term of respect.

"Ah," The Daimyo replied with a bow, "Forgive me Hidesato-sama, but something about the enemy's behavior gives me great concern."

"Yes?" Hidesato waited patiently for an explanation.

"I do not observe any signals coming from the opposite ridge," Masaharu explained, "Why are they not ordered to withdraw, regroup, or even change formation?"

Hidesato squinted as he gazed across the valley and noted that there were no signal flags flying. This did not make sense. Ishigawa should at least have ordered a strategic withdrawal and perhaps set a perimeter defense for the top of the ridge.

"Perhaps he retreated with the Monkey-Demon?" Hidesato speculated.

Masaharu shook his head, "I do not believe so, Hidesato-sama. He is not a man accustomed to retreat. Furthermore, I do not see any of his cavalry. He should have sent them into battle by now."

"Out with it!" Hidesato barked at his Daimyo. He could tell Masaharu had an idea of what might be happening and was impatient for the answer.

"Forgive me, Hidesato-sama, but I believe Ishigawa intends to-"

A cry of dismay from one of the signal bearers interrupted him. Hidesato glared at the man and then noted the direction he was pointing. Enemy warriors on horseback began streaming out of the dense forest that bordered the southern end of the ridge.

"We are flanked!" Masaharu cried out in alarm.


	20. XIX

Author goes back on his word (what a guy!): So I said I wouldn't let a week go by and what happens? Several things came up and then I was seized by one of the worst cases of writer's block ever… Anyway, I think these chapters will have to come once a week for awhile. Just too busy right now.

Semi-historical notes: There are quite a few elements of Japanese mythology mixed in with the KP characters and some of my own invention. Hidesato (pronounced 'Hee-day-saw-toe' but very rapidly) and Kintaro are an actual father/son pair of heroes from Japanese mythology. The Koji and Kappa are also Japanese mythological monsters, though I enhanced them with monkey-like features. The Kappa, in fact, are the original inspiration for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In addition, Japanese Mythology also has a story about the legendary Zuijen warriors; archers who once saved Japan from destruction. The dragons are my invention, as are Ishigawa and all those that aren't KP characters. But I thought you might want some useless trivia to start off the chapter.

As it stands, this story has five chapters left, including the obligatory epilogue.

Story highlight: MrDrP's story "Epic Sitch" is basically a fourth season of KP with an ongoing story arc. It's excellent, and, in my opinion, vastly under-reviewed. Go read it and tell him what you think.

Thanks to all who are reading

Very grateful thanks to the reviewers, many of whom have reviewed since chapter one, I can't tell you how much all yourcomments still mean to me. Frankly, they're the reason I'm still writing this story: Mattb3671, Zaratan, MrDrP, LKillingsworth, Nyberger13, Dreammergurl2007, kpultimatefan, Pseudo Juliet, JPMod, demon-sword, Sestren NK, Recon228, JonathanWolf, Angel of the Flames, Lydia King, Happy-Raven, Mobius97, Porphyria-Kris, Porphyria-Kris, Spooks-a-lot, Widow Shark, and WesUAH.

The battle rages on…

* * *

XIX

* * *

Ishigawa was a cautious man. Ever mindful of the possibility that Monkey Fist's erratic behavior might spill over into the battlefield, he had ordered his cavalry to take one extra man each on horseback the night before and position themselves in the woods to the south.

As soon as Monkey Fist left, he and his Daimyo, a sniveling little man by the name of Momoye, rode hard for the southern position where twenty thousand cavalry waited with an additional twenty thousand foot soldiers. Normally, Ishigawa would have his foot soldiers charge in first and then send the cavalry to mop up. But as Hidesato soon discovered, his target wasn't the ridge top.

"He means to take the castle!" Lord Hidesato spoke aloud what everyone around him was thinking.

"Recall our forces," Masaharu shouted to the signal bearer as he wheeled his horse around, "Have the Zuijen reposition themselves defensively and prepare for an attack from the south."

"Disregard that command," Hidesato said grimly to the signal bearer, the flags were just being unfurled, but now they were lowered.

"My lord?" Masaharu asked, somewhat confused.

"If we recall our forces now, the enemy on the opposite ridge may perceive a retreat on our part. They would assuredly regroup and attack, putting us between them and Ishigawa's cavalry on our flank." Hidesato explained through clenched teeth, "We must allow our forces to continue to advance as far into the enemy lines as possible. I had not expected even Ishigawa to pull such a trick as this. He does not fight with honor, choosing rather to attack those who are helpless in the castle."

"Then we will not surrender, my lord?" Masaharu and his master had discussed a plan of surrender after a certain amount of time had passed, intending to spare any of Hidesato's loyal soldiers from dying needlessly. But now…

"We will not," Hidesato confirmed, "If Ishigawa will not face me directly, then I will not give him the satisfaction of an easy victory. Begin strategically withdrawing our forces to the north. We will camp in the high country and decide how we might best sustain a campaign against Ishigawa… and his monkey demon friend."

"_Wakarimas!"_ Masaharu said almost joyfully. He preferred to die fighting beside his friend than surrender to a power-hungry little man like Ishigawa. He turned to the signal bearer, "Order the southern most units to shift position to the northern ends of our lines. Do this two units at a time every quarter hour. Once each unit is repositioned, they are to re-engage the enemy. Notify me when the last of them have been relocated."

The signal bearer acknowledged and bowed low. Hidesato and Masaharu turned their eyes to the castle.

The rumble of hooves reached their ears as they helplessly watched the cavalry charge. They were even out of range of the archers. Hidesato silently cursed himself for not ordering the castle into a defensive status. The front gates were wide open. Hidesato had expected to lose the battle and thus surrender the castle upon its conclusion. So sure were he and the rest of his warriors of impending defeat that no one thought it odd that he did not order the main gate to be shut.

Ishigawa was enraged by the prospect of the lost battle, and originally had intended to simply attack Hidesato from behind, but the thought occurred to him that his opponent might have additional surprises waiting for him. Who knows what other strange warriors there were on that ridge. Someone who could cause the sky to fall upon them or the earth to shake perhaps?

On the other hand, taking the castle would give him a strategic advantage and cut off any chance for Hidesato to withdraw to a potential base of supply. If Ishigawa took Mutsu castle, then he could claim Mutsu province as his, and convince the people that Hidesato was conquered.

No one in the castle expected such an attack, and no one even thought of closing the main gates until cavalry began thundering across the bridge and into the courtyard. Worst of all, there were no soldiers within the castle to defend it. All had marched out that morning to what they thought was their inevitable defeat.

Kim, Veronica and Shego watched, frozen in horror, as hundreds of riders poured across the bridge and into the castle unchallenged. This could mean only one thing.

The battle was lost.

Which meant Ron was very likely… no, Kim pushed those thoughts away. She had a mission, and now they had to decide how best to go about accomplishing it.

They had stood on the wall, listening to the din of battle as it drifted over the ridge and down to them. They could see nothing of the actual battle, of course, but when the horse soldiers charged down the slope and into the castle walls, everyone within knew what this meant.

But where was Monkey Fist?

Kim had been expecting some of the monkey creatures to assist in the taking of the castle, but could see none.

"We need to get out of sight," Shego warned.

"Where is the one called Fist of Monkey?" Kim asked a woman who was rushing by.

The woman bowed and explained to Kim that she did not know.

"This is all wrong," Veronica said after Kim had translated, "These people weren't expecting an attack on the castle. Something's different."

"Whatever it is, we can talk about it elsewhere," Shego said insistently, "Pretty soon those soldiers are going to come looking for us."

"No," Kim countermanded, "We fight, and when we're captured, we demand to be taken to Monkey Fist."

"_IF_ we're captured, and _IF_ they comply with our demands," Shego said dryly.

Kim ignored Shego and continued to gaze out over the wall, looking for any sign of Monkey Fist.

"Mother," Veronica said, timidly but firmly, "I think Shego's right."

"What?" Kim threw a glare at her daughter.

"We should get out of sight." Veronica said in a tremulous voice, "If Monkey Fist comes, then we can maybe spring out of hiding and destroy the idol. But if he doesn't, then we'd be much worse off as prisoners than we would be in hiding."

Kim continued to glaze at her daughter, though in the corner of her eye, she could see Shego on the other side of Veronica with a smug look on her face.

Kim thought for a moment, and realized Veronica was right, though she didn't exactly want to acquiesce with Shego looking on. Pride had to be swallowed, and Kim realized she'd already learned a painful lesson in swallowing pride some days ago.

She nodded, "All right. We'll see if we can find a place to lay low."

Shego smirked, "See Kimmie, it's not so hard to admit when you're wro-"

"I agreed with you because you're right," Veronica whirled around and cut her off, "But that doesn't mean I'm siding with you."

"My, my," Shego said, raising an amused eyebrow, "The Princess' Princess seems to be growing a spine."

"Knock it off, Shego," Kim snapped and began moving away from the wall, "Let's get ourselves into hiding."

They hurried into a nearby corridor and were met with the sounds of screams, and metal clashing on metal from somewhere around a corner. The old warriors of the castle were making a last stand. And though they didn't need to, Ishigawa's soldiers were fighting them as though they were fighting battle-hardened soldiers in their prime.

The women hurried off in the opposite direction of the noises, and into the deeper recesses of the fortress.

"Maybe you could ask someone where a good hiding place might be." Veronica suggested to her mother.

Kim tried to ask several passers by where they might find a hiding place, but their responses were gibbered in hysterical panic. Rumor was beginning to spread through the castle that Ishigawa was summarily executing anyone who resisted.

Finally, Kim caught a word she recognized and an idea came to her.

"The baths," She said, turning to the others.

Shego groaned.

"No," Kim insisted, "It's a good place to hide, for several reasons. None of which I have the time to go into right now."

"I promised myself I would never go back down there. Especially after what the buffoon saw." Shego protested.

"Fine," Veronica said, shrugging her shoulders, "Stay here. Which way to the baths, mother?"

"It's down this way," Kim said and took off at a brisk walk.

Shego stood there glaring at them with her hands on her hips for a few seconds. Then went off after them, calling "Are you sure you heard 'baths'? Maybe your Japanese isn't as good as you think it is!"

* * *

"Forgive me, but what did you say?" Kintaro looked at Kim in wonder.

Kim was somewhat stunned herself, and didn't really know how to respond. The entire group had come to a halt, and all eyes were on her.

"I…" she stammered, "I was just curious as to how far until we reach the castle."

"I realize this," Yori replied, "But you just asked Kintaro that question in _Japanese._"

"Yeah," Kim said in English, "I guess I did, didn't I?"

It had been three days since Drakken and Shego's arrival, and they had spent most of that time on the move. As they journeyed, they explored some of the properties of the Ohana Blades and just exactly what they could do. Kim found she could mentally catalogue all kinds of necessary information in her mind thanks to the help of the Magnolia Blades. She took note of each Blade's powers, and began to come up with the possibilities on how they could use them. Kim was convinced she would stumble upon the secret of the Ohana Wraith in this manner.

They hiked, and in turn, each of the Stoppables would try using their Blades and the respective powers they contained on a rock or a tree they passed.

One by one, they each learned of some of the powers their Blades contained. Though, when asked how he brought out the giant Lotus power during the fight against Deathray, Ron was unable to recall, saying it just sort of came to him. Kim believed the other Blades had similar powers, and they would reveal themselves to their wielders at the proper time.

The journey seemed slow going. Kintaro was compelled to stay off any traveled roads or trails so as to avoid any populated areas. Being seen by anyone would be a disaster as inevitably rumor would fly about the strangers, their weapons, and their whereabouts.

Drakken was proving to be a bit of an annoying traveling companion. Often he would helpfully suggest what could be done with each of the Ohana Blades, but just as often, he would complain about the heat, or the bugs, or the long daily "death marches" as he called them. Of course, Ron suggested Drakken take off his heavy outer coat to help deal with the heat problem.

Drakken looked at him as though he had lobsters crawling out of his ears.

"I never take off this coat," he said indignantly.

"I'm thinking there must be times when you do," Ron looked over at Kimono, "Or will at some point in the future."

Kimono gave Ron a sardonic look, "Ron Stoppable, you think you're all that. But you're not."

Drakken grinned at his daughter, "Excellent delivery, my dear."

"Thanks, Daddy," Kimono replied with a smile, "But he's right, you would feel cooler if you took off the coat."

"Forget it," Shego sulked. She'd pretty much kept to herself for the last three days. While Veronica and Yori volunteered to give up their tent to Drakken and Shego, Shego decided she'd sleep outside with the others, leaving Drakken in the tent by himself. "He never takes off that coat; not for any-"

And, of course, he was in the process of removing it while she talked. Shego could not believe how much Kimono had her father wrapped around her finger.

In the last three days Shego had some time to contemplate her existence as a clone and decided there wasn't much she could do about it. But she did leave Kimono alone at least. Let them have their little family thing without her. Maybe she had some sort of loyalty protocol instilled within her, but there were ways of removing such things.

Shego had some experience in that.

Then she'd just head out on her own. Drakken could thaw out another clone and live happily ever after with her. Who knows? Maybe Shego would return from time to time and kidnap her own clones, just to make life miserable for Drew.

"Ah yes," Drakken acknowledged once his coat was off, "That is much better. Thank you, Kimono."

"Hey!" Ron protested, "It was my idea. Kimono just-… Dude! You don't wear a shirt under that coat?"

The others were already staring at the bare-chested, blue-skinned man.

"I'm sorry," Drakken said sarcastically, "You're giving me fashion advice now?"

"I…it… that's just weird." Ron concluded.

"Hey," Drakken's turn to protest, "I don't criticize you for your wardrobe choices, Mr. Came To Ancient Japan In His Black Pajamas."

"It's a ninja outfit and you know it," Ron snapped.

"Doesn't look like any ninja outfit I ever saw," Drakken observed, "It's all skin tight and pajama-y."

"Well," Ron said primly, "Maybe you haven't been keeping up with the latest trends, but this is what all the ninjas are wearing in the twenty-first century."

"Any chance we could get back to the subject at hand?" Kim interjected.

"Yes," Ron acknowledged," Uh… what _was_ the subject at hand?"

"You were about to explain just how the mystical monkey power works. Specifically, how do we tap into the Monkey Kung Fu if we possess it?" Kim reminded him. "You used to say it 'comes and goes'."

"Yeah," Ron said wistfully, "Though it rarely came. In fact, in those days the mystical monkey power would show up about as often as Wade left his room."

"And you told us Wade didn't even leave his room until that time he went to break up Ray Beam's wedding to that clone of mom." TJ put in.

"Right," Ron nodded in agreement.

"Wait a minute," Kim interjected, "That wasn't the only time Wade left his room."

"It wasn't?" Ron asked, confused.

"Don't you remember that time we took down Team Impossible and convinced them to join up with Global Justice?" Kim prodded.

"Yeah," Ron acknowledged, "And…?"

"And… Wade showed up at their headquarters because they spiked his system, fried everything he had." Kim continued. "He blew a hole in their wall and activated a laser security net!"

Ron scratched his head and looked around, "How come I don't remember that?"

"Maybe it's your memory that comes and goes." Kimono observed dryly.

"Anyway, mystical monkey power…" Kim said again, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right," Ron corrected himself, "OK, yeah. Well, that was back in high school when I didn't actually have any formal training in Tai Xing Pek Wah. But Sensei explained it all to me during my time at Yamanuchi."

Ron had a nostalgic look in his eye. The others waited for him to continue.

"It's kind of hard to put into words," Ron began, "You really can't turn on the monkey power like you're flipping on a light switch. It's more about letting go and allowing the power to just kid of direct your actions."

"It takes control of you?" TJ asked.

"No, not exactly," Ron answered, "I guess the best way to put it is that it _influences_ you. It helps you make decisions you might not normally make, and it gives you abilities you might not otherwise have."

"How does it work?" Veronica asked.

"It's kind of based on a principle of erratic behavior," Ron explained, "You know how monkeys often change behavior abruptly, or move in seemingly unpredictable ways? It's kind of like that. For example, if you're in a fight and you engage in a series of moves against your opponent, at some point your next move will be planned out. If your opponent moves against you with a Snake-style maneuver, then such things are typically countered with a Crane block. But, what if instead of the expected Crane move, you counter with a completely radical style, like Eagle Claw, or Bear Hold?"

"Something your opponent wouldn't expect." Kim said nodding.

"Exactly," Ron confirmed, "In fact, the monkey power even gives you the ability to change styles in the middle of a maneuver. You might start with a Snake strike, and switch to a Mantis move even as you're beginning the Snake strike."

"Fusion!" TJ observed excitedly, "Even if your opponent is a master in multiple fighting styles he wouldn't be so readily able to counter a move that he did not see coming. He expects a Crane block, but you actually counter with something else, something completely unexpected, like a Drunken Boxing move."

"Right," Ron confirmed, "In addition, mystical monkey power will give you knowledge on moves you didn't even know existed. Best I can tell they're a combination of styles intended to throw off your opponent and keep him from guessing which move you're going to use next."

"OK," Kimono said, "I can see that. But what does it have to do with these swords?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know the connection between Monkey Kung Fu and the… what did Kintaro call them? The Ohana Blades… I don't know how they affect each other."

"But if it holds true that the mystical monkey power would influence your fighting style, it might be the same with combat involving weapons." Kim theorized.

"Maybe," Ron said agreeably, "That does make a lot of sense. One thing we do know for sure, you have to have the mystical monkey power in order to use the Blades to their full potential, and the only other people besides us who have this power are Sensei and Monkey Fist."

"Uh…OK," TJ said with a puzzled look on his face, "So we need to keep these away from Monkey Fist, while at the same time, get to Monkey Fist and get his Time thingy away from him."

"You make it sound so simple," Kimono gave her husband a playful elbow in the ribs.

"Well, you know," TJ said with a grin, "I didn't want it to sound like something complicated or impossible, like, say, marriage to you."

"Nice," Kimono said in an impressed voice, "Way to turn that one back on me. Of course, it means you're sleeping outside the tent tonight."

"Hey," TJ said in a mock threatening tone, "If you make me sleep outside, I'll tell my Dad about the crush you have on him."

Kimono gasped and looked mortified.

Ron's eyes widened and he turned a deep red.

Shego snorted, while Kim and Veronica tried to hide their own laughter.

TJ rolled his eyes and looked up into the sky, "Nice goin' Stoppable. Looks like I really am going to be sleeping outside."

"For several nights," Kimono confirmed coldly, "Veronica, there's a free space in my tent if you want it."

They walked in silence the rest of the afternoon, but for Yori and Kintaro, who continued to speak quietly to each other.

That night TJ did sleep outside. But just that one night. He apologized in the morning.

Had their mission not been such a dire one, most of the party would have enjoyed their journey. They camped beside pristine lakes or fresh streams, sometimes in open meadows with the stars blazing at night, or in a cozy glen or sheltered rock. They would gather around the fire and talk quietly to each other until the day's fatigue overtook them and they went to bed one by one.

They ate mostly fish and such fruit as they could gather. Sometimes Kintaro would walk alone to a nearby farm and acquire some milk or eggs, or rice. Eggs were rare, though, and the milk was mostly from goats.

Still, there was something cleansing about the whole experience. Every day they breathed in pure, unpolluted air and survived on a simple diet. Even Drakken's complaints began to lessen. His coat came back on the further north they traveled.

Such experiences inevitably change people, and each member of the party were going through their own subtle, inner transformations.

Drakken's time with Kimono really began to soften his harder, more annoying edges. He was quite taken with her. And spent a great deal of time with her, though he also tried to give his daughter and son-in law their space. He wasn't sure whether he liked TJ or not, since he was the son of his arch foe. But Kimono clearly loved him, and if she was happy, then he was happy for her.

Kim and Ron took many opportunities to be alone, not necessarily to do anything that required privacy, but rather wanted to make up for so much time spent apart while Ron was trapped in Apollyon's simulation, and then hurled into the future.

This they would sometimes do late in the evening just before everyone turned in for the night, or early in the morning before everyone ate breakfast. Through Yori, they promised Kintaro they wouldn't wander too far. Indeed, they merely went out a small distance from everyone else just to be alone together. They talked, laughed, held hands, and once or twice – after going a little distance further out - made love. They were both glad to get to know their children, but were also glad to realize that the most important person in the world to them was still each other. Though they didn't think it was possible, Kim and Ron fell even more deeply in love with each other, and relished even the few minutes they could get alone together.

Shego still kept mostly to herself. She sulked a little less, but only a little. She was still trying to accept the fact that she wasn't the real Shego, as much as she believed she was, and began to harbor a bitterness toward Drakken for what he'd done.

Kimono enjoyed the time spent with her father. This was not the older, mellower Drakken she knew growing up. This Drakken still had that I-want-to-take-over-the-world gleam in his eye. Kimono's heart ached for her mother. She wanted to reach out to Shego, but each time she did, was turned away. But still she could feel her mother's loneliness. And, for reasons she couldn't explain, it actually made her appreciate TJ that much more. On occasion, they too would wander off to spend time alone with each other.

TJ was just happy being TJ. He was glad to be able to spend more time with his dad, after thinking they would be parting company the night Wade called. He was happy to see his mother so young and so full of strength and life. And he was happy to be married to such a beautiful, vibrant woman. The timeline may have disappeared and everyone they knew was gone, but TJ was just glad to be alive.

Yori found herself pulled in two directions. Unwilling to let go of the torch she had for Ron, yet becoming more and more interested in Kintaro. The worst part for her was knowing there was no future for her with either man, and she felt very sorry for herself because of this. That first time Ron came to her and asked her to tell Kintaro that he and Kim were going for a walk, she felt such a twinge of jealous sadness that she almost didn't tell Kintaro anything. She didn't want Ron to get into any kind of trouble, necessarily, but as is often the case with unrequited love, Yori wasn't quite thinking rationally. She felt that if she could somehow prevent Ron and Kim from spending time together, maybe they would drift apart, and maybe there would be an opening for her to… Realizing the futility of such thoughts, Yori finally did tell Kintaro the truth, then went off by herself to shed quiet tears alone.

Kintaro was apprehensive about seeing his father for the first time in two years. The Yamanuchi school was far away and Hidesato had a province to run, and thus did not get an occasion to come visit his son. He hoped he would be able to please the old warrior. In the meantime, he tried his best to get to know Yori and was very interested to hear of all the things she had to tell about her own time. Chariots that moved under their own power, despite the fact that such power was called 'horse', the chariots were not pulled by them. Candles encased in glass that burned without ever blowing out or using up all their wicks. A box with a face of glass that allowed you to watch all sorts of theatrical productions. Kintaro wondered if these boxes would let you watch Noh or Kabuki… or even both. That would be a wonder to behold.

But perhaps the biggest change seemed to come over Veronica. In the space of three days, much of her timidity and shyness began to fade. She took to wearing her shoulder-length hair in a pony tail like her mother's (though it was much shorter) and she seemed to have a strange look in her eye. On the morning of the third day, Kim finally asked her about it.

"I don't really know," Veronica responded, "There's something about this place."

"The woods? Or Japan?"

"Japan, I guess… I don't know. I've never been to this country before."

"This is a heck of a first visit," Kim observed with a chuckle.

"Yeah," Veronica said with a smile, "But what I meant was, there's something about this place that feels like… I don't know…_ home_ I guess."

"Home?"

"Yeah, but not like the house on the bluff, I mean _home_, like a place where your heart lives, or your soul…or whatever, I don't know what I'm trying to say."

"You like it here." Kim observed.

"Oh yeah," Veronica responded emphatically, "That's definitely part of it. I wish I could stay here."

Kim looked at her daughter who was looking all about them. She had a far away gleam in her eye.

"Makes sense," Kim speculated, "This is about as far away from Ray Beam as you can get."

"Maybe" Veronica allowed, "But it's more than that. I don't know… I guess I'm not making much sense."

"It's all right," Kim assured her, "I think you'll figure it out. Just promise me you'll tell me all about it when you do."

Veronica smiled at her mother, "I promise."

And so it was on the evening of the third day that Kintaro began to look for a good spot to camp for the night. Wondering just how much further it was to Mutsu province, Kim asked Kintaro the question directly.

"Forgive me," Kintaro said, stopping and turning to look at her, "But what did you say?"

"I…" she stammered, "I was just curious as to how far it is until we reach the castle."

"But you just asked Kintaro that question in _Japanese._" Yori said with some amazement in her voice.

"Yeah," Kim said in English, "I guess I did, didn't I?"

Kintaro looked at her and spoke, "Do you understand what I am saying?"

"_Hai_." Kim replied, perplexed.

Ron looked at her, "I didn't know you could-"

"I can't," Kim interjected, "Or, at least I couldn't."

"But you've been hearing almost nothing but Japanese since you arrived," Kimono put in, "And I think you've had some help from those Blades on your back."

"I guess so," Kim said doubtfully, "But would they help me pick up an entire language in only a week or so?"

"Perhaps," Yori suggested quietly, "They would if you have been hearing our conversation, as well as everything you've heard since you acquired the Magnolia Blades."

Kim held up her hands in protest, "I haven't been trying to eaves drop."

"Of course not," Yori said respectfully, "But your ears have been hearing what we say, and whether or not _you_ have been paying attention, the Magnolia Blades have helped your mind to do so."

Yori quietly repeated everything to Kintaro who seemed to be nodding. Kintaro spoke a few words to Kim but she didn't understand most of what he said, and told Yori as much.

"Kintaro-san has recited part of an ancient poem. He did this deliberately because it contains mostly words not heard in conversational Japanese." Yori informed Kim. "It seems you have begun to understand some parts of our language with the assistance of the Magnolia Blades."

_Our_ language, Kim noted mentally. Out loud she said, "It seems you're right."

"On our first encounter with DNAmy, she had a collection of Cuddlebuddies that included a limited edition Pandaroo," Ron said, "What was the production number on the tag?"

"Four one seven one four," Kim blurted out before she even realized she could remember it, "I barely glanced at the tag… and that was, like twelve years ago!"

"We should call these things the Einstein Blades," TJ quipped.

Kintaro looked up at the deepening twilight, "I think we shall make our encampment over there for the night."

That afternoon, they had come to a long, narrow lake that ran east/west. Near the western end of the lake was a village, and Kintaro didn't want to risk being spotted, so they spent several hours walking eastward. It was evening before they were able to turn north again, and Kintaro decided they would spend the night at this end of the lake and continue on in the morning. He knew of a farm not too far to the northwest and decided to go and try to acquire some food. Yori decided to go with him.

As they walked away, Kintaro turned and called out to Kim, "The answer to your earlier question is: the day after tomorrow. We should arrive at my father's house around mid-morning."

"_Domo_!" Kim called out to him.

"You're welcome!" he replied with a smile.

Dinner that evening was goat cheese, rice balls wrapped in seaweed, and a fresh fish or two.

The next morning, Ron Stoppable got up with the sun - thanks to a bladder that had reached critical mass - and discovered his wife was already up.

And she was cooking.

"What happened?" Ron asked frantically, "Is Kintaro dead? Did something happen to Kintaro?"

"No!" Kim said, shocked, "Why would you say something like that?"

"Well," Ron eyed her suspiciously, "I mean…you're… you're cooking."

Kim stood up from where she was crouching by the fire and glared at her husband, "I think I can handle breakfast."

"Kim!" Ron said with an urgent tone in his voice, "You can't make a bowl of cereal without burning down the kitchen."

"All right, Mr. Stoppable, just for that you-"

"Hey!" Kimono poked her bleary-eyed head out of the tent, "What's with all the noise?"

"Kim's cooking breakfast." Ron said, the fear in his voice palpable.

"Did something happen to Kintaro?" Kimono asked in a horrified voice, "Is he dead?"

"Oh, please…" Kim said rolling her eyes, "Not you, too."

"Some of us are trying to sleep," Came TJ's grumpy voice from within the tent.

Kimono looked behind her, "Your mom's cooking breakfast."

There was a scuffling noise as TJ suddenly came scrambling out, "Kintaro's dead? When did this happen?"

"Hey!" Kim said indignantly.

"She claims Kintaro's fine," Ron said unconvincingly, "And that she can handle breakfast. Close quote."

At that moment, Veronica came strolling into camp, "I just had the loveliest walk. You guys should-… what happened?"

"Mom's cooking breakfast!" TJ said in alarm.

"Was Kintaro killed last night?" Veronica asked in shock.

"Aaarrgh!" Kim growled.

"It's OK, Mom", TJ said frantically, "I'll call for help!"

"I don't need any-" Kim began.

TJ cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed out over the lake, "I SUMMON THE IRON CHEF!"

"Now that's enough-" Kim said pointing at her son.

"SAVE US MORIMOTO-SAN!" Ron contributed with a grin.

"OK!" Kim finally shouted, "We get the point!"

Kintaro and Yori, who had gone back to the nearby farm in search of breakfast items, came running into camp.

"What is happening?" Yori asked in alarm, "We heard shouting."

"He's alive!" TJ cried out with much fanfare, "Kintaro's alive!"

Kintaro was somewhat surprised to find the orange-haired man embracing him.

"Some of us are still attempting to sleep!" Drakken growled from inside his tent.

"You might want to get up, Dr. D." Ron called toward his tent, "Your arch foe has made you breakfast."

"Splendid," Drakken declared sarcastically, "Have her bring it to my tent in half an hour."

Kim had actually made an excellent breakfast thanks to her Magnolia Blade assisted observances of Kintaro's meal-preparing skills. And those in her family who knew Kim wasn't much of a cook made a point of telling her just how much they liked what she'd made. Though it was pretty much the same breakfast they'd had for days, the Stoppables were fairly surprised that she managed to pull it off.

Drakken finally did emerge from his tent, grumbling about the noise and how he couldn't get back to sleep. Instead of partaking in breakfast right away, he went down to the lake to freshen up.

As he bent down to splash water on his face, he spied something just below the surface. Puzzled, he leaned closer to the water to get a better look. The lake was as calm as the surface of glass, and the water, though very deep and very dark, was quite clear. Whatever this was, it was very near the surface. It looked like a turtle shell, though it was far too large to be any kind of turtle he knew of.

Then, closer to the surface, two lightly colored dots seemed to disappear and then became visible again.

Eyes.

And they were looking at him.

The surface of the water erupted in a horrendous, frothy splash as four Kappa burst out of the lake and were instantly upon him. Drakken fell backward with a startled yelp. They pinned him down, biting and clawing him as more swarmed out of the lake and began scrambling toward the encampment.

"Shego!" Drakken called out instinctively. He tried to fight off the beast with his hands but met only teeth and claws. Some of them had short swords strapped to one leg. Drakken felt stabbing pains in his legs and lower torso.

The Kappa snarled and continued to maul him; his coat was shredded, the skin beneath it exposed. Pain began to overwhelm Drakken, and his consciousness faded. As the world around him began to gray out, Drakken was distantly aware of green and blue/green surges of energy shooting through the air above him. Those Kappa that were attacking him appeared to fly abruptly in to the air.

Shego had been the first to hear Drakken's yelp, and was already running toward the lake before she realized what she was doing. Whatever hostility she had toward Drew was instantly forgotten as she instinctively responded to his call for help.

Kimono was up and running an instant later, and together the two of them began blasting the creatures off the helpless Doctor Drakken.

"Let's go!" Ron called to the others as he sprinted down toward the lake, "Now's the time to put our Blades to use!"

More of the creatures were emerging from the lake, swords drawn, teeth bared, claws menacing.

Veronica screamed in terror upon her first sighting of the horrible creatures. They were humanoid in form, though their torsos were covered by unusually large tortoise shells. They had dark green skin, and gills that protruded out of their necks. But their faces, though smooth and hairless, resembled the ugliest apes you can imagine; their hands and feet were monkey-ish limbs, though the digits were webbed. They had yellow eyes, and sharp fang-like teeth which they bared whenever they snarled.

Ron transformed the Lotus Blade in a great Thor-like hammer and charged into the line of advancing creatures, swinging and clubbing with every step.

While Shego and Kimono continued to blast away, Kim moved around to their left and drew her Blades. It took her three seconds of observation to discover the weaknesses in their armor, their fighting styles and their overall physiological make-up. She called this information out to the others.

"They have vulnerabilities at the pit of each arm. There's a gap in the armor there. Their gills are another weak spot. Aim for the neck if you can't reach under the arm!" The others were arriving with their weapons, Kim repeated her information in Japanese for Kintaro's benefit.

As Kimono was using her energy beams as weapons, TJ had both Orchid Blades. He began swinging them alternately; first one, and then the other as he squared off against the Kappa nearest him. At first, there was a large shadow in front of the creatures' eyes where TJ should have been, then suddenly a blinding flash of light. The creatures scattered like frightened horses at the light burst, some of them tripping over each other. TJ moved in to eliminate those that had fallen.

"Yori!" Ron shouted above the din. He swung his hammer and shattered the shell of the nearest Kappa, then instantly transformed the hammer into a katana and finished off the creature, "Get Drakken back to camp!"

Yori did as she was ordered. She wanted to fight along side the others, but was never able to say no to Ron Stoppable.

"I'll help her get Drew back to camp!" Shego yelled to Kimono, "Can you handle things here?"

Turquoise fury blazed forth from Kimono's eyes, slamming three Kappa to the ground and practically crushing them against each other.

"For now," Kimono hollered, "But hurry back. We really need you."

Though Shego knew it was a battle situation and Kimono was talking about how much they needed her combat skills as well as her kinetic powers, it still meant something to her to hear Kimono say that.

The others were relying primarily on their weapons, but Kintaro employed much of his martial arts skills in the fight. While slashing at the neck of a Kappa with his sword, he swung his leg out in a roundhouse move, driving back another creature until he could deal with it. As he swung around, Kintaro backhanded that same Kappa with his left hand, knocking its head to the side for a spilt second. Kintaro followed through with his katana and separated the creature's head from the rest of it. Then he lunged forward, picked the body up before it could fall and hurled it at three others who were approaching. They were knocked sprawling.

"Nice!" Ron said in open admiration. He'd been momentarily distracted by Kintaro's fighting prowess.

"Ron!" Kim shouted.

Ron whirled around to see a Kappa upon him. More precisely what he saw were teeth, and almost nothing else. Instantly Ron realized he wouldn't be able to bring his weapon to bear in time. He closed his eyes for the inevitable. But it never came. The creature was driven sideways at the last second by a hurled blade which buried itself in the side of its head.

Ron looked over and saw his wife glancing at him with a smirk on her face, her arm extended, having just thrown one of her blades. She held her palm outward and the Blade flew through the air back to her.

But it never got there.

One of the creatures was charging at Kim from an angle and got between her and the flying Blade. The Magnolia Blade stuck itself into the creature's shoulder and the beast roared in pain. It turned slightly, threw out its good arm and backhanded Kim, knocking her over. She rolled once or twice and finally managed to recover herself, then sprang to her feet.

Veronica let out a scream.

Kim turned to see a Kappa had broken through their line and was charging at Veronica who had held back, afraid to get into the fight since she had no combat skills and very little experience with the Cactus Blade.

"Veronica!" Kim cried out and began running toward her.

"No!" Ron yelled, "Stay on the line, Kim!"

Though it went against every instinct she had, Kim held back and bit her lip in terror, the creature, snarling and frothing at the mouth, was about twelve feet from reaching Veronica.

"Help!" Veronica screamed. She began to back up a few steps.

Ten feet.

"Fight, Veronica!" Ron yelled over his shoulder, "You can do this!"

Seven feet.

"No!" Veronica began to sob in terror, "Please help me!"

Five feet.

"It's too late!" Ron called back.

Three.

"You'll have to take it down yourself!"

Two.

Whimpering and crying, Veronica's knuckles turned white as she gripped the shaft of the Cactus Blade.

One.

Veronica squeezed her eyes shut and raised the Blade, swinging it like a baseball bat. She let out a shrill cry that she hoped sounded fierce, but knew a lot of fear could be heard within it.

At the last instant, her eyes opened in time to see the Blade catch the advancing Kappa in the midsection. There was a horrendous booming noise as the shell of the creature shattered like a dropped porcelain figurine. The monster itself flew backward and into the air, sailing well out over the lake before it plunged into the water with a huge splash.

It was dead before it even left the ground.

"BOOYAH!" Ron bellowed in fierce triumph.

"Total fusion!" TJ called out with much wonder in his voice, "Way to take 'em down, Ronnie!"

Though tears streamed from her eyes, Veronica laughed in surprise. No other Kappa were willing to go after her.

"Man, that is sweet!" Ron said to no one in particular as he continued fighting, "I wish I had a Cactus Bl-"

The Lotus Blade transformed into a naginata. Ron stepped back a few paces and stared at it.

"Spank me," Ron breathed as he ogled the newly transformed weapon in amazement. He held up the Blade and slammed it to the ground.

The three Kappa nearest to him virtually exploded as a thunderous noise accompanied a lightning-fast crack in the ground.

This, Ron realize, was why the Lotus Blade was considered the chief among the Ohana Blades. Not only could it transform into all kinds of weapons, but it could also become a copy of any of the other Ohana Blades.

A quadruple line of Kappa advanced on Ron.

"FOUR!" he called out and swung the Blade like a nine iron.

The lead Kappa was driven violently back into the other three; all four of their shells simultaneously bursting into shreds.

Veronica, still afraid, but now with a budding confidence, ran down to the line and began dispatching Kappa with one swing of the Cactus Blade after another.

The creatures had had enough. They turned and retreated back into the lake, though less than half their number survived to make the retreat. They stumbled over each other as they churned back into the water and slid beneath the surface. Soon, the Stoppable Clan and Kintaro all stood alone on the beach, breathing hard. It was eerie, as the lake surface began to smooth out again, it almost looked like there was no battle at all, but for the slain Kappa strewn about the shore. Everything seemed to quiet down again.

"BOOYAH again, baby!" Ron shouted out over the lake.

Kintaro smiled and then said something to Kim.

"Kintaro says we should get going," she translated to the others, "The enemy will soon know where we are."

Ron transformed the Lotus Blade into the Magnolia Blades and slung them to his back, grinning at his wife.

Kim began to return his smile when a horrible thought occurred to her. She gasped.

"What is it?" TJ asked.

"The other Blade, it's gone! I only have one of the Magnolia Blades!" She began to look around wildly.

"Calm down, KP," Ron soothed, "Just hold up your hand and call it back to you."

Kim did so, but nothing happened.

"It got stuck in that one turtle-thingy who got between me and the Blade as I was calling it back, then I got distracted by what was happening to Veronica," Kim explained, "It must have gone back into the water and carried off the Blade."

TJ whistled, "Looks like they've already gotten part of our arsenal."

"Kintaro's right," Ron said after a second or two, "We need to get going, as soon as possible."

But as much as they felt the urgency to move on before Monkey Fist was made aware of their location, it wouldn't be that easy. Drakken was in dire shape. Kim tended to his wounds, ordering the others to boil some water and tear up one of the tents to use as bandages.

Ron and TJ hastily constructed a stretcher, which is to say it took a good three hours to put together. But Kim was thorough in her work, not satisfied until she'd found every wound and bandaged it well, and that took quite a long time to accomplish. Fortunately for Drakken, most of his wounds were fairly superficial, and he hadn't lost too much blood. But it was clear he was very weak, and there was no way he would be able to walk on his own.

It was afternoon before they were truly able to get moving. Kintaro informed them they would be walking through the night. Camping was not a luxury they could afford anymore. They had to get to Mutsu Castle.

The real disappointment, which they each realized at different times that day, was that even if Monkey Fist didn't know exactly where they were, it was pretty clear where they were headed, and the enemy now knew what general area they were in. Since Mutsu was the northernmost province on Japan's main island, it was a pretty safe bet the enemy would guess where they were headed.

What little enjoyment everyone was able to get from their journey until now was completely gone. Not only did they have to walk through the night, stumbling and feeling their way along at a maddeningly slow pace, but they all had to take shifts carrying Drakken, who spent most of the time in a haze, muttering to himself and sometimes crying out unexpectedly. Kintaro had gathered some herbs and mixed them with water. Though the concoction did not necessarily relieve Drakken's pain, it did make him extremely drowsy and thus he slept for a good portion of the journey.

When neither of them had stretcher duty, Kim set about teaching Ron Japanese with the help of his Lotus/Magnolia Blades. Kim found that though she did not make any startling new discoveries, the Blade that remained in her possession seemed to help her retain the knowledge she had gained since she arrived in ancient Japan. Her enhanced perception was gone, but the memory retention remained.

Ron was exhilarated at his newfound knowledge enhancements. He soaked up as much as Kim would teach him and by early next morning, he was at least able to have rudimentary conversations with Kintaro.

"I think you're getting it!" Kim said proudly in the predawn hours as they walked along.

"I'm learning Japanese!" Ron said elatedly, "I think I'm learning Japanese! I really think so!"

Kim rolled her eyes and was about to continue when TJ asked her to relieve him at the stretcher.

Shego didn't allow anyone else to carry her end of the stretcher. She took up her station at the end where Drakken's head lay and stayed there until they arrived at Mutsu castle. Shego was having an inner battle with herself. She felt great concern and worry for Drakken, but was convinced it was all part of the loyalty protocol Drew had programmed into her. And though that thought made her angry, she realized it wasn't his fault he was injured. So what was it? Did she feel genuine concern for him? Or was it all part of the loyalty programming? Could a clone truly feel such feelings or were all her emotions just a product of a clone's pre-programmed mind?

And though the others took shifts, Kimono took the lion's share of stretcher duty on the other end. She was devastated when they arrived back in camp and found him so horribly wounded, but her mother-in-law had assured her that Drakken would be OK as long as he didn't get an infection. Since Kim was a doctor, and a neurosurgeon at that, Kimono trusted her prognosis.

So it was, late the next evening just before the last of the twilight faded from the sky, the exhausted band of travelers arrived at the gates of Mutsu castle.

Upon receiving word of their arrival, Hidesato himself rose from his throne room and went down into the courtyard to receive his son and his son's companions. Rumor had already flown from one end of Japan to the other of strange, supernatural warriors from another world who may be wielding the Ohana Blades. Rumor further speculated they were here to do battle with the demon known as Fist Of Monkey and conquer his army.

Hidesato was not a superstitious man, and was not one to be caught up in rumors. He was pleased to see his son, though he did not show it (to show such emotion in public was considered beneath a provincial lord). Hidesato noted by the fatigued countenances of the strangers that they truly were human after all, and not supernatural beings from another world. Hidesato's best guess was that they were likely from distant lands across the sea, on the other side of China itself perhaps.

"Kintaro-chan," Hidesato said with a slight nod, "It is good that you have come to the gates of your home."

"Yes, Hidesato-sama," Kintaro said with a very low bow, "These are my companions. I have brought them along with most of the Ohana Blades to be put under your protection at Master's request."

"_Most_ of the Ohana Blades?" Hidesato asked impassively.

"My lord," Kintaro said with an even lower bow, "I am afraid your son has failed in the completion of his duty. One of the Magnolia Blades was captured and taken from us."

"_Us?"_

"Forgive me, my lord Hidesato, I meant to say 'me'." Kintaro said, an edge of shame creeping into his voice.

"He is not to blame." Kim interjected, "I was carrying the Magnolia Blades, and the missing Blade was taken from me."

Hidesato stiffened, but ignored Kim and continued speaking to Kintaro, "Please tell me exactly how you failed to protect the Magnolia Blades."

It has been said that we all do stupid things when we're exhausted. And it's a well known fact that judgment can be impaired by fatigue. Combine such fatigue with a stubborn, headstrong personality and it may just explain what Kim said next.

"Excuse me," Kim spoke in an extremely annoyed tone of voice, "But I have just explained what happened. Kintaro is not to blame. It would be most considerate of you not to ignore me in this manner."

Suddenly the air was thick with tension. Ron opened his mouth to whisper to Kim that maybe she should just let a father talk with his son, but Kim continued on.

"I am aware that you are accustomed to treating women as less than men in Japan. But where I come from, I am a great warrior," Kim paused, and then finished quietly, "And I would be happy to prove it."

Hidesato turned cold, steely eyes upon Kim, and then back to his son.

"Not only have you brought shame upon this house by failing to protect the Ohana Blades, but you have brought disrespect and dishonor as well." Hidesato spat, then turned to Kim, "Tomorrow, mid-morning."

The lord of the Mutsu province then turned, strode out of the courtyard, and up to his private quarters.

"What just happened?" TJ asked, confused.

"Kim has challenged the lord of the Mutsu province. Now they must meet in single combat." Yori said with some disgust in her voice.

"What?" Kim barked, astonished, "I was only trying to get his attention."

"Looks like you got it," Shego observed with a smirk.

"We'll just tell him I wasn't serious." Kim concluded.

Yori exchanged a few words with Kintaro, which none of the others could hear. Kintaro answered her, though his head hung and his eyes were closed. He was devastated by his father's reception and was already regretting bringing the others to the castle.

"If you withdraw from the challenge," Yori explained loud enough so they could all hear, "Then Hidesato would be obliged to have you executed."

"But why?" Kim protested.

"Because you challenged him in front of witnesses. He could not refuse your challenge without losing face, and if you withdrew, you would be seen as a coward who has come to taunt Hidesato." Yori answered, "Hidesato's subjects would believe that he is afraid of you if you backed out of a challenge and he did nothing as a result."

"That's just perfect!" Ron said, angrily glaring at his wife, "Of all the times to go all 'I can do anything' on a guy, that was not it!"

Everyone except perhaps Shego was completely shocked, and still trying to absorb what just happened.

"This is so not what we need right now," Ron growled, "We're supposed to be going after Monkey Fist. Not wasting precious time. I just….argh!"

Kim felt a lump in her throat. She had never seen Ron so furious, at least not at her. Once more she'd jumped in headfirst without looking; got her pride injured and just had to prove to the world she was Kim Possible.

"Ron-" she began in a tremulous voice.

"Yori, would you ask Kintaro how we can get Drakken taken care of? Then maybe look into quarters for the rest of us?" Ron asked, then glared at Kim again, "And if it's not too much trouble, I'd like my own room."

Kintaro nodded dejectedly, mumbled a few orders to a nearby guard, then got up and trudged off on his own. Yori almost wanted to go after him, but had to stay and translate since none of the guards wanted to speak to Kim and Ron wasn't yet very proficient in speaking the language.

Drakken was taken to the castle physician, who stared at his new patient for a full five minutes before setting to work on him. Shego and Kimono both stayed and watched the physician work on Drakken long into the night. TJ was given quarters to share with his wife, Yori would room with Veronica. As requested, Ron and Kim were housed separately.

Kim was still trying to process what had just happened. In the space of a minute, she had challenged the lord of Mutsu Province to combat and alienated her husband. Alone in her paper-walled room, the numbness of recent events wore off and Kim began to cry bitter tears. Many were shed before she finally fell into a troubled sleep.

In the morning, She sought Ron out, hoping the storm had passed. It hadn't

"What do you want?" he snapped.

"Ron…I-"

"I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to figure out what we're going to do next!" he said angrily, "You know, I was hoping that maybe we could convince Lord Hidesato to help us go after the Tempus Simia. That's not likely to happen now."

Kim recoiled, she'd rarely seen him so furious, and never at her.

"Ron, I might be dead later this morning!" She protested weakly.

"We all might be dead by the end of the week!" Ron shouted, "And everyone we know is gone! This isn't about us! And it certainly isn't about you!"

The tears began to well up within her. She would be facing a formidable warrior in combat in an hour or so, but this was somehow worse.

"Just go," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "And try not to get killed."

Kim left his room feeling more miserable than she could remember. What had she done? And what could be done to fix it?

Sitting quietly in her room next door, Yori had heard everything. Though she did not wish any harm on Kim, she began to see a window of opportunity. She decided to see what the outcome of the duel would be before considering her opportunities further.

Though the duel itself could be described in minute detail, it is perhaps best to move beyond such things since the outcome of the battle is already known. Kim lived, as did Hidesato, and Kim wound up with a deep wound on her arm.

The important point, of course, is why the battle turned out the way it did.

The duel took place in a small, private courtyard reserved solely for Hidesato's use. Kintaro chose the venue as it would afford the lord of Mutsu some privacy and spare him the embarrassment of possible defeat in front of his subjects. Ron was allowed to view the proceedings, as was Yori, but no one else would see it.

Kim fought with a standard katana, though she kept the remaining Magnolia Blade strapped to her back. Because the missing Blade apparently was the one that enhanced perception, Kim was unable to discern Hidesato's weaknesses as quickly as she had in battle before. But, since the Blade she did have helped her retain better memory capability, she was able to put the skills she had learned thus far to good use.

Hidesato was unquestionably a master swordsman, and Kim was on the defensive the entire time; frantically so, in fact. Many was the time she barely managed to block an attack and save her own life. Fortunately for her, Hidesato was holding back. Though he had been challenged, he was not a foolish man. He soon discerned that Kim's bravado was not just empty words. He also realized that she was merely attempting to get him to take her seriously by her ill-advised words of defiance. She was indeed a competent warrior, and had already lasted longer than any opponent he had ever faced previously. Hidesato tried to come up with a way out of combat without losing face, and without killing the orange-haired woman.

Whether or not Kim sensed this, no one will ever know. But about eight minutes into the duel – which is more than twice as long as such duels usually last – Kim was frantically parrying off Hidesato's attacks when she simply put up her arm to shield off his blade. She could have easily spun to the left and brought up her own blade to block, but chose not to. Hidesato's katana sliced through the air and buried itself in her arm.

Kim let out a yelp of pain and surprise.

Only Kintaro would ever know that his father held up his stroke at the last minute, and allowed the blade merely to cut her rather than severing her arm and finishing her off.

There was silence for a few seconds. No one even dared to breathe.

"I yield," Kim said quietly.

Hidesato wrenched his blade from her arm and took two steps back, "Then I will spare your life, as it would be a waste to take the life of such a warrior. You have proven your words, and your bravery. Any council you may have for me in the future will be taken into consideration. However, I suggest there are better ways of asserting yourself in the future."

Hidesato nodded his head slightly, turned, and strode out of the courtyard. Word quickly spread through the castle that the lord of Mutsu was victorious, and that he had spared the life of the woman in an act of benevolence.

Ron also left the courtyard without saying a word.

Kim was taken to the castle physician where she found Kimono talking to her father who was awake, but very weak.

For the next few days, Kim hardly her husband. She barely left her room at all. Ron seemed to be very busy making plans with the others. Veronica came and reported to her all that they had discussed, including the reports that Ishigawa and Monkey Fist were nearing the border of Mutsu province. Their armies would likely arrive in a few days.

So it was decided that Ron, TJ and Kimono would march out with Hidesato's army to meet Ishigawa and Monkey Fist in battle. Veronica, Shego and Kim would be left at the castle as a contingency plan if all else failed, and Kintaro and Yori would journey out and try to flank Monkey Fist in case he didn't join the battle. As Hidesato did not see that Kintaro would be much use on the battlefield, and since he was still upset at what had happened, the lord of Mutsu allowed Kintaro to do as he pleased. Kintaro probably would rather have stayed with his father if it were not for the opportunity of spending so much time with Yori alone.

Thus the plan was set in motion.

And that is all that has happened up to this point.

Well…

There was one more thing. A rather traumatic event happened the day before Ishigawa's armies arrived.

Ron was on his way to Kintaro's quarters to ask him a few things about the local terrain when he heard a woman call out for help… in English.

Curious, Ron set off in the direction the voice was coming from. As he got closer to it, the cries for help became more urgent.

"Will someone please help me?"

It was Shego.

Ron broke into a run as he followed the voice. Through corridors and around corners, the voice grew louder, and more frantic until Ron sprinted around a final corner and found…

Shego.

In a large, room-sized bath.

With about twenty men.

She had come in earlier to take a bath alone and was mortified when a score of warriors simply entered, disrobed, and got into the pool with her.

Shego was huddled up in a corner of the bath, her knees tucked up to her chest, waving a glowing green fist at anyone who tried to get near her. Though she wouldn't have believed it if told, the men in the large, warm pool with her were merely curious and were trying to get a good look at the strange green woman from another world.

Ron tried his hardest not to grin, but couldn't help it.

"Shego!" he said jovially, "Yori warned us of the ancient Japanese tradition about men and women sharing baths. Did I forget to tell you?"

"You knew about this?" Shego's voice dripped with venom.

"You know, you see this sort of thing on sit-coms all the time, but you never think it's actually going to happen to you." Ron mused.

"Would you just get me my kimono?" Shego barked.

"Your daughter?" Ron said, turning to leave, "Sure, I'll go get her."

"No!" Shego yelled, "My kimono!"

"That's what I said," Ron protested.

"I'm talking about my robe and you know it!" Shego raged, then swung a glowing fist, "Back off, fellas."

"I don't know," Ron said doubtfully, "What would Drakken say if I saw you naked before he gets to?"

"You're not going to see me naked," Shego seethed, "And neither is Drew. You're going to hand me my ki- my ROBE with your eyes closed."

Ron retrieved a green kimono and brought it to the edge of the pool. He held out the robe and closed his eyes.

"Oh wow, they actually _are_ green," Ron said mischievously. "Looks like I owe TJ a dollar."

"You WHAT?" Shego raged, but Ron still had his eyes closed and was just playing her.

"So tell me," Ron said conversationally, "You're going to have a daughter with Dr. D, but you won't even let him see you naked when you guys-?"

"I won't be having a daughter with Drew," Shego said bitterly, "I'm a clone, or hadn't you heard?"

"You're a what?"

"A clone!"

Ron suddenly roared with laughter, "Did he tell you that?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Drakken can't even keep a syntho-drone up and running. What makes you think he'd successfully be able to clone you without you knowing? Or without the rest of us knowing for that matter? Man, you got played but GOOD!" Ron couldn't contain his mirth.

Shego's mind blanked again… of _course_ she wasn't a clone. There was no way Drew could have ever… was there?

Shego was shocked at having been played so masterfully by Drakken, but part of her was shocked to discover how easily she believed it. Why would she have accepted such a ridiculous story as truth?

"My apologies," Ron turned and bowed to the twenty men who remained in the bath, "There will be no more display of the green woman tonight."

"Awwwwwww," twenty male voices sighed with deep disappointment.

"What did you say to them?" Shego's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I said 'No more peeks until I see some yen'." Ron said firmly.

"Argh!" Shego rolled her eyes in frustration. Can we just get…"

* * *

"...out of here?" Shego demanded. "I hate this place."

"Would you let me think?" Kim snapped, "There's got to be some way we can hide without anyone in the castle knowing where we-"

"You!" came a gruff voice from one of the doorways, "Stay where you are!"

"I don't think he's one of ours," Shego said, flaring up her fists.

The soldier yelled back down the hallway from which he had emerged, "Come quickly. I believe some of the bearers of the Ohana Blades are here!"

"We need to go now!" Shego's voice rose with concern.

Dozens of soldiers began pouring into the room. Without saying a word, Veronica turned and shoved both Shego and Kim into the nearest bath. The two tumbled into the water and came up spluttering and coughing.

"Veronica!" Kim cried out, "What are you-?"

Veronica leaped out over the bath, spun the Cactus Blade in the air, and brought it straight down as she plunged into the water. The Blade struck the bottom of the pool which, with a horrendous roar, collapsed beneath them. The three women plunged through the floor with tens of thousands of gallons of water, leaving dozens of soldiers standing at the edge, gawking.

* * *

As the day wore on into afternoon, Hidesato's army had successfully managed to gradually reposition itself at the north end of the valley while still engaging Ishigawa's forces. Ishigawa's lesser generals had only been given orders to fight, and retreat was not an option. This gave the advantage to Hidesato's troops who didn't allow the enemy to regroup but rather charged whenever they tried to withdraw and re-form their lines. In addition, no enemy soldier wanted to come near the strange warriors with the even stranger powers, which allowed Ron, TJ and Kimono to come through the battle unscathed.

Ishigawa's forces had been reduced by close to a hundred thousand, while Hidesato had lost perhaps fifteen thousand of his own soldiers.

But the battle couldn't go on forever, and Hidesato knew fatigue was a major player in longer conflicts. Many was the time when he'd seen the outcome of a battle turn against the inevitable victor because of fatigue.

Between the approximate hours of two and four in the afternoon, a weather front moved in and it began to rain. Soon it was pouring with earnest, and Hidesato took the opportunity to withdraw his forces. Ishigawa's army was perfectly aware of what was happening, and did not mistake the withdrawal as a retreat. They did not pursue.

Ron stood with TJ and Kimono on the northern ridge overlooking the battlefield.

Drakken, who had been on horseback and observing the battle from Hidesato's position, rode up. He sat very tired in his saddle, and he had some bad news.

"Ishigawa's taken the castle." He said quietly.

"What?" Kimono said in alarm, "How?"

"We were flanked by their cavalry," Drakken explained, "The last we saw of the castle there was smoke coming from it and bodies were being thrown over the walls."

Ron's jaw clenched.

"Well, we've got to go in there and get our people." TJ said flatly.

"No," Ron said quietly.

"Huh?" Even Drakken was surprised at this.

"We've got to get to the Tempus Simia. That's the only priority."

"But-" TJ began.

"The _only_ priority."

"So what are we going to do?" Kimono asked.

"You three are going to stay with Hidesato's army. At some point there will be another battle, and if Monkey Fist is involved, you may be able to get to him that way." Ron ordered.

"And you?" Kimono demanded.

"I'm going after the Lotus Blade."

"I thought the Tempus Simia was the only priori-"

"If Monkey Fist has the Lotus Blade, then the Tempus Simia will be close by," Ron growled.

"So we'll all go," TJ said firmly.

"No."

"Now hold up," Kimono interjected, "We've been following your orders because you seem to know the most about this mystical monkey power of ours. But that doesn't mean you can boss us around like Hidesato's soldiers."

"Fine," Ron threw up his hands, "Whatever. Do what you want. But I'm going alone."

"To get the Lotus Blade."

"And the Tempus Simia if I can."

The four of them stood there in the rain for a few seconds. Then Drakken sneezed.

"We need to get Daddy somewhere warm and dry", Kimono said to her husband.

"I…yeah." TJ looked at his father, "Good luck, Dad."

Ron reached out and shook his son's hand, "So long, TJ."

Ron Stoppable turned and walked off into the stormy darkness.

* * *

"I believe your name is Yori, yes?"

"Yes. What has happened to Kintaro?"

"Your companion? He escaped. But let's talk about you."

"Why?"

"I believe there is something you want. Something more than anything else in the world."

"What makes you say this?"

"This short sword I acquired a few days ago. It seems to have some sort of effect on my perception. And I am perceiving that you want something… or rather some_one."_

"'Someone'?"

"I've seen you and Stoppable together before. I've seen how you looked at him."

"That was a long time ago."

"Was it? Let me show you something. This is the Tempus Simia Idol. I used to think it could give me the ability to travel through time. But I have come to learn that it will actually give me whatever I desire."

"May I hold it?"

"In due time, perhaps. But the point I am making, is that this little statue can give you what you desire most. Wouldn't you like that?"

"I…I do not see how this is possible."

"Oh, but I believe you _want_ to see how it is possible. Don't you?"

"I…yes."

"If I could bring Ron Stoppable to you, and he would be yours to have always, would you be agreeable to this?"

"I… I do not…yes."

"Very good, my dear. Then if I can bring Ron Stoppable to you, you would be willing to do one or two small favors for me, yes?"

"…"

"What did you say, my dear?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I would be willing to do these favors for you… Lord Monkey Fist."


	21. XX

Author's something or other: Chapter twenty at last. Sorry for the delay, but I really want to take my time crafting these final chapters. After all we are at the climax of our saga, and I think it's something best savored. Anyway, to make up for it, I made this chapter extra long.

I want to say a grateful thank you to all who have put this and REUNION on their fave lists, it really is a humbling thing to see my stories listed among the favorites of even one person. It's funny, when the fave count drops by even one, I find myself wondering "Aw what did I do? Come back! I'll make it better, really!" Pathetic, aint it?

Thanks to all who are reading.

Muchas gracias to the reviewers: Zaratan, MrDrP, Mattb3671, JPMod, Lydia King, Spooks-A-lot, qtpie235, WesUAH, drgonzo. Aimtbj, Cold-Chaos, Pseudo Juliet, kpultimatefan, demon-sword, Dreammergurl2007, Sestren NK, Kari, oneredneckgoddess, Visigoth29527, Widowshark, Muttly, recon228, TexasDad, and Porphyria-Kris. Thanks all of you guys for putting UNION up over the 400 review count.

In case you're wondering by the end of this chapter: Yes, there is a prefecture in Mutsu province called that. You'll see what I mean…

* * *

XX

* * *

There was much on Ron's mind. In fact he didn't even get around to the realization that he'd walked off into a rainy night alone without provisions until almost an hour had passed. When he parted company with TJ and Kimono, the world was still enveloped in deep twilight, made deeper by the clouds and accompanying rain.

Ron merely walked, turning the events of the battle and the ramifications of the lost castle over in his mind until he became aware that he was stumbling through almost complete darkness.

Most of his thoughts were centered on two things; Kim and the Lotus Blade.

His thoughts of Kim were easily explained; she was very likely dead and he'd spent his last few days as her husband angry at her. He'd even surprised himself by how angry he'd gotten at her. Kim could stay focused like a laser beam on a mission and its needed outcome. But challenge her pride and suddenly her priorities would shift. It wasn't that she needed to prove herself; she had, time and again against countless villains. Ron knew it was something deeper, something within her that would not tolerate anything less than equal treatment from anyone. The irony was not lost on Ron that not only did she spend many years treating him like a sidekick, but would never have tolerated that exact same treatment from him.

She was Kim Possible, she could do anything. And no one had better tell her she couldn't.

So what was it that made him angry?

Ron concluded that his anger was based on the idea that Kim had lost sight of their mission goals in favor of satisfying her own wounded pride. She had put her personal dignity above the survival of the universe itself, and just the thought of it had made Ron furious.

She was stubborn, strong-willed…and while these were among the things Ron loved most about her, they were also qualities that frustrated him from time to time.

One thing was certain: he wasn't the awkward, follow-Kim-anywhere teenager he used to be, and she didn't walk all over Ron as was occasionally her habit back in those days. Things had changed, and Ron supposed people must change, especially when they get married. Ron had taken on some of her assertiveness, and Kim seemed to have absorbed some of his innate goofiness into her own personality. Perhaps that was what the "two united as one" concept meant. Rabbi Katz had spoken to them about this and other things as part of their pre-marital counseling.

But as he thought about it, Ron was filled with regret at the way he'd behaved toward Kim. Sure, he still felt his anger was justified, but was it really necessary to go on punishing her, even after the duel?

Ron began to choke up a bit. What exactly had he accomplished by refusing to even speak to his wife for the last few days? Now, with the very distinct possibility that she was dead, and he would never see her again, he would have to live with the reality that – by his own choosing – they'd spent their last few days as a married couple not speaking to each other. But for last night when Ron finally came to her to tell her he'd be marching out with Hidesato in the morning.

Ron arrived at the conclusion that, while what Kim had done was certainly stupid, he was no less an idiot for the way he had behaved. Ten years ago he never would have treated her like that. Perhaps that was marriage as well; becoming so familiar with someone that sometimes you could even feel contempt for her despite the fact that deep down, you actually love and admire her.

Words she had said to him long ago echoed in his head.

_We're not in Pre-K anymore. Time to grow up._

And so they had. Whether it was a good thing or not, they'd gotten older and grown up, together for all but six years. Change happened so gradually they didn't even notice. Ron certainly wouldn't have believed ten years ago that one day he'd be the mysterious ninja superhero called – inaccurately, but considering the media that was no surprise – "Ronin". Though he suspected if he could visit himself in the past and tell his younger self about Ronin he'd be pretty psyched about it. On the other hand, High School Ron might not have been too enthusiastic about what he had to go through to become Ronin.

He owed her an apology, big time, and he decided that if she really was still alive, then he'd find her after recovering the Lotus Blade and give her an apology to remember.

Ron's mind then turned to the Lotus itself. That was something he couldn't explain; his all-consuming need to go and retrieve it. It had jarred him earlier when Kimono had to remind him of their mission. Just like Kim, he'd set another priority above saving the universe.

What was it about the Lotus Blade that drew him so inexorably to it? He'd spent the last year in his own time without it, and managed to function as Ronin just fine. But since it had come into his possession once again, Ron almost felt like he'd regained a severed limb.

A year ago he'd been too distracted by the fact that Kim was back in his life to feel the Lotus Blade's absence. Getting Kim back almost felt like he'd regained his missing heart.

But now, having had the Lotus for a few days, Ron realized it was almost as much a part of him as Kim was.

So why wasn't he trying to find her instead?

That was something he couldn't explain. All he knew was this overpowering need to go and get the Lotus Blade. So overpowering was this need, in fact, that he-

"Oh, crud." Ron muttered to himself. He stopped where he was and finished his thought aloud, "So overpowering was this need that I've walked off into a rainy night without any food or any clue as to where I'm going! Or where I am!"

Perfect.

Buffoon strikes again.

"I _am_ a drama ninja!" Ron growled at himself. He'd thought only of going after the Lotus, though abstractly he thought how cool it must have looked as he walked away from Kimono, TJ and Drakken, fading into the rainy night like a ninja apparition.

The rain poured steadily in the near-blackness. Any remaining light was coming from the sky, but it did not offer him any sort of ability to tell where he was. In fact, he wasn't exactly sure of the direction he had come from, or just how long he'd been walking.

But for the sizzling sound of the falling rain, the world was silent.

Ron took a couple of tentative steps and then stopped, unsure of which way he should be going. Panic began to set in.

What fresh disaster had he just created for himself? He should have stayed with his family, should have at least ascertained Kim's state of being, and developed some kind of plan with TJ and Kimono to retrieve the Lotus Blade and destroy the Tempus Simia. He should have-

Someone coughed.

Ron's blood froze and he dropped to a crouch. He held his breath and strained his eyes into the darkness, trying at least to see if someone was standing nearby or perhaps stalking him. Who would be out here walking around in the darkness in the rain? Besides Ron?

Coughing again, this time it was more protracted, and sounded as though whoever was having such a hacking fit was very sick indeed.

Ron turned his head this way and that, trying to gage just exactly where the coughing was coming from. Then he heard only rain.

"Who is there?" Ron asked the darkness.

A voice, very weak, grunted and then responded, "Donata deu ka?"

Ron took a few hesitant steps toward the voice, "Who are you? Do you need help?"

"Dare ga koru no desu ka?" the voice asked weakly. "Koko ni kinasai."

Ron, in his sudden fear, realized he was speaking English.

"Ookina…uh," Ron searched his mind for the words, "Koe de… um… oh what was that word? Hanashite! Ookina koe de hanashite!."

"Ariemasen," the voice responded faintly.

"Ariemasen," Ron muttered to himself, "That means…uh…'not possible'. I asked him to speak loudly and he said 'not possible'…probably because he's sick… at least he _sounds_ really sick."

"Koko ni kanasai," The voice repeated.

"That means…that's…'come here!' that means 'come here'!" Ron realized the voice was asking him to approach.

Whoever it was, Ron was convinced they were in no shape to fight. In fact they might even be able to tell him of Monkey Fist's whereabouts.

Ron made his way through the now complete darkness. After a moment, his outstretched hands bumped into something wooden, some sort of platform or something. If only he had a light-

"The Orchid Blade!" Ron exclaimed.

"Nani?" The voice came from somewhere just above him.

Ron took the Blade from his back and held it for a moment. Nothing happened. Then he waved the tip in tiny circles. A small arc of light began to spiral up and down the Blade, casting an eerie, pale blue glow in a roughly fifteen foot radius.

The voice above Ron uttered a small cry of surprise.

Ron looked up.

"Sensei!"

* * *

"There," Shego said, squinting against the glow of her fists at a nearby formation of rock, "That might work."

"It'll have to," Kim responded, "It's too dark and rainy to continue on."

"Yeah," Shego allowed, "But continue on to where?"

Kim ignored the question and began making her way over to the rough pile of boulders. Veronica waited a few seconds, threw a glance at Shego, then followed after her mother. Shego came last, holding up her glowing fist to cast as much light on the area as she could.

The three of them scrambled up over several boulders and then lowered themselves into a tiny space partially sheltered from the rain. Though some rain still got in, most of the wind was blocked by the surrounding rocks. What little space there was – something Ron and TJ might have considered a cool fort under other circumstances – compelled them to huddle together.

"Those don't give off any heat," Kim said in a disappointed tone of voice while gazing at Shego's glowing fists.

"More than a decade of fighting and you're just now noticing this?" Shego asked sarcastically.

"Had other things on my mind," Kim replied with equal sarcasm.

"I don't suppose any of us is carrying anything to eat," Veronica said doubtfully.

"You didn't exactly give us time to grab provisions." Shego growled, remembering the events of that afternoon.

With a horrendous, churning boom, the contents of the bath – three women and thousands of gallons of water – had plunged through the floor and into a drainage tunnel which tilted slightly downward so as to carry away water drained from the baths.

Kim found herself submerged not only in water, but complete blackness, tumbling over and over as the torrent pushed her and her companions along the interior of the tunnel. All three women alternately collided with debris or the sides of the passageway as they were swept along. None of them were able to come up for any kind of breath.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, they were slammed against a rough metal grating that allowed the water to pour into a small, elongated pond which stretched across the front of the castle and around one corner.

The castle sat at the bottom of a gentle slope that rose up and away toward the ridge where Hidesato had marched his army that morning. The castle itself, however, was not on a slope, but rather at the bottom of a very narrow valley. A drawbridge spanned the pond to the main gate while there was a secondary gate at the rear of the structure with no bridge and no pond.

Hidesato's grandfather, who did not posses the mind of a great tactician, had chosen the location of the castle, thinking the surrounding low-lying ridges would offer additional protection as well as raise enemy soldiers to a higher elevation so his archers could more easily eliminate them. It did not occur to him that the same scenario offered enemy archers and siege weapons high ground with which to rain arrows down upon the castle.

Hidesato himself had constructed the pond in order to offer at least some protection to the front gate because it faced the upward slope. It was hoped that an enemy would be discouraged at the prospect of having to cross a body of water to attack the main gate, and thus be drawn around to the much more easily defended secondary gate. It was probably the only castle in Japan that had anything resembling a moat or a drawbridge.

A small tunnel had been constructed that allowed water from the baths to drain into the pond, thus keeping it fairly full in the summer months when there was less rain and the pond water would evaporate. But to guard against the possibility that a few enemy soldiers might try to sneak into the castle through the drainage tunnel, a crude iron grate had been put in place and, in time of battle, boiling water would be poured through there at regular intervals.

Three coughing, spluttering women found themselves resting against the grate which stood about four feet above the water level of the pond.

Kim looked to make sure her companions were all right, then began examining the grate.

"Shego, can you blast through this?" Kim asked her arch foe.

"Maybe," Shego growled, "If your daughter promises us no more surprises."

"Can't think of any at the moment," Veronica gazed evenly at Shego, "But if I do, well, I won't tell _you_ now will I?"

Kim tried to stifle a smile but couldn't help it. This was not the timid, fearful woman she'd just met a few days ago.

Shego ignored her and turned her attention to the grate, flaring up her fists. She tried blasting the grate a few times, but to no avail. The grate didn't budge.

"Maybe if I-" Veronica began.

"I got it." Shego cut her off.

"I'm just saying-"

"I can handle it." Shego said firmly.

Kim looked at Veronica and shook her head slowly, her eyes telling Veronica Shego didn't want their help.

Then, Kim uttered a startled gasp.

"What is it?" Veronica asked in alarm.

"The other Magnolia Blade!" Kim exclaimed, "It's gone."

Shego continued working on the grate while the other two women turned and looked back up the tunnel. Unfortunately, the dim, gray light coming from outside only shone a limited distance into the tunnel. They couldn't see anything that looked like Kim's short sword.

Kim began crawling back up toward the baths.

"Mom-!"

"No," Kim interrupted, "I have to get it back. We can't lose the other one."

Angry voices began to echo from the direction of the baths.

"Move it!" Veronica barked, pushing Shego aside.

Veronica scooted closer to the grate and began tapping on the surrounding stone with the blade end of her weapon. Low booms accompanied a minor rumble. Stone began to crack, the grate shifted a little.

"Try it now," Veronica said, scooting aside, then turned and called back into the tunnel, "Mom! Let's go!"

There were noises. Shouts, scuffling, a struggle. Kim came scrambling back down the tunnel.

"They found it!" Dismay laced Kim's voice, "I tried to get it back but they passed it along behind them and then tried to capture me. They're coming!"

Shego moved to the grate and flared up her fists again. Several blasts loosened the iron a bit and the three of them pushed and strained against the grate until it moved outward a little, just enough so they could squeeze through and drop into the pond one at a time.

Veronica, the last one through the opening, turned to see men with very angry faces crawling through the tunnel toward them. She extended the Cactus Blade upward into the tunnel and struck the sides and ceiling of the enclosure several times. The Castle shook to its foundation, while in the tunnel, stone cracked and shattered, caving into the culvert. Veronica slid through the opening and dropped into the pond.

The three of them swam as quickly as they could to the other side and scrambled out on to the shore.

"Don't look back," Kim called out, her voice laced with fear, "They'll be coming after us. We need to go now."

Shego didn't need to be told twice, but sprinted off in the direction opposite the near ridge, away from the main gate.

The first few minutes of their journey were a harrowing experience indeed. As soon as they were out on open ground, they heard shouts, and angry voices. Arrows sizzled through the air and buried themselves in the turf all around them. One arrow actually stuck itself into the shaft of Veronica's weapon with a loud _thwack_, causing her to yelp in fear and surprise, but also compelling her to find speed and energy she didn't know she had.

As much as they wanted to run up the ridge toward where Hidesato stood, watching helplessly as his castle was captured, enemy cavalry and soldiers were still pouring through the font gate. No one had yet discovered how to open the secondary gate.

All of this turned out to be somewhat of a blessing for the three escaping women. Since proper communications had not yet been established within the castle, those enemy soldiers eagerly barging across the front bridge and through the gates could not be turned back or even made to halt to let a pursuing party out. (That night, several men were deemed responsible for allowing the women to escape and lost their lives to Ishigawa's wrath).

Sprinting through rain and mud proved to be a difficult task. Several times all three women fell sprawling, more than a few bruises and cuts were sustained.

They ran for almost an hour, slowing their pace to a jog. Eventually the ground began to slope upward and the terrain gradually changed from relatively flat grassland to rocky hillside. They were forced to slow their pace even further, as much by exhaustion as by the rough terrain itself. Shego finally stopped and looked back toward the castle.

"I don't think anyone's chasing after us." She called out to the others.

Kim climbed up on a rocky outcropping and peered into the distance. The castle was now an unknown number of miles away. Kim guessed it was somewhere between four and six miles off, but it was hidden in the rain and mist. The distant roar of battle still reached their ears, and all three of them began to wonder about the welfare of their loved ones.

"Let's get higher up," Veronica said, "I don't think it will be daylight for too much longer."

"What exactly are we going to do?" Shego asked, genuine worry and fear in her voice.

"We'll have to figure that out later," replied an exhausted Kim, "Veronica's right. We should get higher up in case they send out search parties."

Another hour or two of slogging through the rain brought them cold, tired and hungry to a hillside strewn with boulders and other rock formations.

None of them were particularly interested in spending the night in such a place, but it had become too dark, and no one really knew what should be done next. All anyone did know was that they were too tired and too hungry to make any real plans, or even attempt to build a fire; not they there was any dry wood available anyway.

So they huddled together in the tiny cave-like shelter, doing their best to keep away from the rain and the dripping water. No one was really able to get completely sheltered from the harsher elements and each of them believed they couldn't possibly feel more miserable then they did right then.

About a half hour passed as each of them attempted to fall asleep. But though they were tired enough to sleep, being wet and hungry was enough to keep them awake.

Tired of being tired, and giving up on trying to sleep, Kim finally spoke up, "Anyone know any of those games you play when you're stuck on a long drive?"

Shego groaned, flared up a fist for light, and then glared at Veronica, "How did you know there would be a drainage tunnel under the bath?"

"I didn't," Veronica replied evenly, "But once, when I was in high school, I was about to take a bath and got a call from a boyfriend. I forgot to turn off the water."

Kim looked over at her daughter, "And the tub fell through the floor? Was that in the downstairs bathroom?"

"Yeah," Veronica said sheepishly, "It overflowed and then fell into the basement. Do me a favor, when that happens, go easy on me would you? You and Daddy were really mad."

"No promises," Kim said with a half smile, "Who's the boyfriend? Do I know him?"

"Yeah," Veronica glanced at Shego with a nostalgic gleam in her eye, "Or at least you will. His name was Joseph Lipski. Everyone called him Engine Joe. He was kind of a bad boy. Shego introduced us."

"Excuse me, what?" Shego narrowed her eyes at Veronica, "What are you talking about?"

"Joe came to spend the summer with you and Dr. D.," Veronica explained, "His father is Edward Lipski, Drew's cousin."

"Drew's cous- Motor Ed? You dated Motor Ed's kid?" Shego looked at Kim, "Your life is just one big tragicomic soap opera, isn't it?"

"Sometimes it feels like that. But it sounds as though yours is going to be one of domesticated bliss." Kim said teasingly, then addressed Veronica, "So you dated a bad boy, huh?"

"Just for the summer," Veronica protested mildly, "Didn't you ever date any bad boys?"

"Nope," Kim said almost cheerfully, "I married one."

"Daddy? Really?" Veronica asked, astonished.

"Sure!" Kim enthused, "Ask Shego, she knows all about it."

"Can we please talk about something else?" Shego demanded, an edge in her voice.

"OK," Kim said, "What's this about you being a clone?"

"Fine," Shego growled, "We'll talk about your 'bad boy' husband."

"You're a clone?" Veronica asked, bewildered.

"No, can we talk about something else?"

"Why would Drakken tell you something like that if it isn't true?" Kim prodded.

"Obviously because he's wrapped around his daughter's finger," Shego snapped, "And he wanted me to leave her alone."

"You were pretty harsh on her."

"I was harsh on everybody." Shego countered.

"Maybe that's why you were so ready to believe you were a clone." Veronica postulated.

"Huh?" Said the other two at once.

"Jinx," Kim chortled, "You need to invent soda and then owe me one."

"Why did you say that?" Shego asked Veronica.

"Well, I mean, you've been really snarky to everyone since you got here." Veronica explained.

"I'm always snarky," Shego explained.

"She _is_ always snarky," Kim agreed.

"And then there's the fact that at some point in your future, you're going to develop feelings for Dr. Drakken and have a child with him." Veronica continued, "Or at least engage in the act of procreation with him."

"Oh, thanks for _that_ image." Kim muttered.

Shego merely shuddered, then thought of something, "Maybe we don't. Maybe Kimono's just another one of Drew's experiments."

"Oh come _on_!" Kim groaned, "Drakken can't even keep a syntho-drone up and running."

"Your husband said the same thing to me yesterday," Shego mused.

"What makes you think he could successfully create a daughter… I mean, other than the old fashioned way?" Kim prodded

"Same reason she was so willing to believe she was a clone." Veronica concluded.

"Mind explaining that?" Shego demanded.

"Sure," Veronica said affably, "You've got feelings for him."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. Come on, we all saw the way you responded when those turtle-thingies attacked Drakken. Either you're just now falling in love with him or you're about to." Veronica stated matter-of-factly.

"What's your point?" Shego's eyes narrowed.

"That you're scared," Veronica answered, "You're afraid of your own blossoming feelings about Drakken. You're afraid of the idea of being a mother, not because you dislike your daughter, or even because you necessarily dislike the idea of having a child with Drew, but because you're afraid of what you've seen in your daughter. She calls you 'mother' while she calls my mom 'mom', and you think you've done something to alienate her. And you're afraid of all this domesticated appearance that comes with a family; that you might lose your evil reputation and others will think you're going soft."

Shego said nothing, which told the other two a lot.

"So you were willing to believe you're a clone," Veronica concluded, "Because that way you could blame some faulty planning on Drew's part. All of this stuff you're afraid of could just be explained away, that you were programmed to do all this; fall in love, have a daughter, whatever. Any screw-ups could just be blamed on the fact that you're a clone. Or at least you thought you were… I think we all know you aren't."

"Wow," Kim exclaimed with some wonder in her voice, "Where did you get all that?"

"Meh," Veronica shrugged her shoulders, "I was a Psyche minor at Upperton U."

"Really? Upperton?" Kim asked.

"Didn't want to get too far from home," her daughter said.

"So what did you major in?"

"Actually I-"

Veronica was interrupted by a sniff. Shego tried to stifle a sob but was unsuccessful. For the first time that she could remember, Kim Possible watched her arch foe melt into tears. Shego's fists went out completely. She hunched her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs and shed quiet tears for a few minutes. Kim and Veronica kept an uncomfortable silence.

"The quiet just makes it worse," Shego finally said in a choked voice.

"Sorry," Veronica said, "Just not sure what to say."

"Shego," Kim said tenderly laying a hand on the green woman's arm, "It's OK. If all that's true, then we can do something about it."

"'We'?"

"Well, yeah," Kim continued, "For instance, when Kimono comes to stay with us, I'll make sure she calls me something other than 'Mom'. I think she can call me Kim, or Auntie Kim, or whatever. You should be the only person she thinks of as a mother."

"OK," Shego sniffed, "But what about the other stuff?"

"Well," Kim went on hesitantly, "We can try and make sure your evil reputation is solid, if you want."

"And we don't really know if you did anything to alienate Kimono," Veronica put in, "The only negative thing she ever said to me about you was that you were always kind of distant. Maybe that fear of being a mother carried on throughout her life."

"OK," Kim replied, "So we can work on that."

"What about my feelings for Drew?" Shego almost pleaded. She flared up her fist again so she could see the others.

Kim smiled, "Sorry, can't help you with that one. Love is a powerful force, and often it's scary. But it can't be controlled. You either choose to feel it or don't. Whenever they say people 'fall in love' like they can't help it, it just means they aren't ready to admit they chose to love that person. But once you do, it can seem overwhelming. I remember feeling afraid sometimes about my feelings for Ron."

"Really?" Veronica asked.

"Sure." Kim responded, "Early on I would get scared that our relationship might end and it would finish us as a team as well as friends. Later when he proposed I'd sometimes become afraid of whether or not Ron was supposed to be 'The One'. Stupid, I know, but these things go through your head."

"Man, if you were afraid on occasion about marrying the buffoon-" Shego mused.

"Don't call him that, please," Kim said defensively.

"Sorry, old habit." Shego replied sheepishly, "I guess there really is no way to account for all the variables…"

"Nope," Kim agreed, "Love is something that just sort of consumes you. And it is one major roller coaster ride; sometimes it's an uphill climb, sometimes it's a frightening drop."

Shego sighed, "I guess. But I mean, just the idea of me and him… you know… 'procreating'."

"But what if he's, like, really good at it?" Veronica wondered.

"Huh?"

"Well, he's terrible at everything else," Veronica went on, "And everyone is good at _something._"

Kim giggled.

"Your point?" Shego asked Veronica.

"That Doctor Drakken just might be an amazing, rock-your-world, stamina-of-a-lumberjack, likes-to-cuddle-afterward, knows-just-where-all-the-right-spots-are-and-the-preferred-order-in-which-to-visit-them, gets-up-and-makes-waffles-while-you're-still-in-bed-trying-to-recover-from-the-fifth-round kind of guy." Veronica replied with a grin.

Shego looked at Kim. Together they laughed, shook their heads and said, "Naaaaah."

"Nice try though," Kim said to her daughter, "I think you might have actually cheered Shego up with that joke."

"I wasn't joking." Veronica protested.

"Yeah, OK, whatever," Shego said dismissively.

(Eventually, Shego would come to discover that Veronica was right after all. Even about the waffles.)

"You know, I just realized something," Shego said after a few seconds.

"What?" Kim asked.

Shego replied in a mildly horrified tone of voice, "We've each been with the same guy."

"_YOU_ were involved with Ray Beam?" Veronica asked, astonished.

"At the same time I was." Kim muttered.

"Well," Veronica said sardonically, "Don't we just have a nice little three-woman club?"

"We sure do. And you get to be president." Shego replied. "Why don't we start our first meeting off by sharing - in detail – the death fantasies we've each had about Ray Beam. Come on, you know you had 'em."

Kim giggled again, "I'm afraid mine isn't very detailed. I always imagined him getting run over by a steamroller as he was crossing the street."

"Boring!" Shego declared snarkily, "I liked to imagine myself using one of Dr. D's shrink rays and reducing Ray Beam to a tiny size."

"Not that he wasn't already," Veronica quipped. She and Shego burst into laughter.

Kim watched the mirth and again marveled at the change that had come over Veronica. There was that wild look in her daughter's eyes again. They were wet, cold, and hungry, but Veronica actually seemed to be enjoying this.

"Anyway," Shego said, wiping a tear of glee from her eye, "Then I'd take tiny Ray Beam and put him in one of those clear capsules like the ones you take for vitamins or headache medicine and swallow him."

"Ewwww," Veronica winced, "And he'd still be alive?"

"Yeah," Shego said with an evil grin on her face, "And Ray would have to watch my digestive system in action. I'd put him in one of those non-digestible capsules too, so he'd be alive for the entire process, if you know what I mean…"

Shego finished her sentence by making a flushing noise.

"Ewww again," Veronica said laughing, "That is so wrong, and yet so right."

"OK," Shego nodded at Veronica, "Tell us about your Ray Beam death fantasy?"

"Actually," Veronica said quietly, her smile disappearing, "I witnessed his death."

"Oh you have _got_ to tell us about that," Shego said eagerly.

"Alright," Veronica said shrugging her shoulders, "It was just before we came here. Dad came out to the island to rescue me and…"

Though she was listening, Shego's thoughts drifted back to Drakken and the way he'd messed with her head. She knew she should be furious, but the truth was she was actually impressed by his ability to get inside her mind and toss a wrench into the works. She'd spent the past few days trying to come to grips with the reality that she was a clone, when that wasn't really her reality at all. What Drew did to her was… well, it was…

_Evil._

That's what it was. It was evil. Drakken was evil.

And that turned her on.

Fine, so she might be falling for Drew. They'd already had one date and it seemed to go pretty well, except when it ended and she destroyed the restaurant, but still, overall a good evening. And there was the night he chased her playfully around the lair. They'd never done that before.

Shego soon found herself hoping that Drew was alive and well.

She just might have something to tell him.

* * *

"Do you understand what he is saying?" Hidesato leaned over and whispered to Masaharu.

"Not in the least," replied the daimyo.

Drakken took the stick he was holding and began to draw shapes in the dirt.

The withdrawal of Hidesato's forces had been a success. Ishigawa had tried to organize a pursuit force, but Hidesato managed to coax an all night march out of his army, which was no small feat considering the day-long battle they had endured.

In the extreme north of Mutsu Province were a series of hills with a large network of caves. Large, of course, meaning that there were several caverns interconnected, but by no means could they house an army of thirty-five thousand warriors. As it was, the caverns were able to hold roughly two thousand, with a smaller chamber reserved solely for Hidesato, though he shared it with Masaharu.

Hidesato had the caverns stocked with provisions years before, and those supplies that were perishable were replenished each year. There were tents enough for twenty thousand, some medicinal supplies (healing herbs and the like), and enough food to feed the entire company for three days at most. Hidesato had two other such caches located in two other strategic points in the province, and he immediately sent out parties to gather those caches of supplies.

The lord of the Mutsu province had never intended to use the caves as a base. He'd stored supplies here in the off chance that other sources, including the castle, were ever cut off. But he'd never anticipated actually housing an army at this location. The nearest fresh water was just under a mile away. Masaharu ordered a company of warriors who were also carpenters, masons, etc. to go about digging a small canal from that water source to the caverns.

Meanwhile, Drakken, TJ and Kimono were given mats and blankets and directed to a space in the caverns where they could sleep at night. TJ and Kimono spent the entire second day trying to devise a plan of getting to the Tempus Simia, but Drakken would wander around and observe the goings on as a makeshift camp slowly began to take shape.

It was the observation of the canal project on the second day that seemed to pique Drakken's interest. He sought out an audience with Hidesato. Purely out of curiosity, Hidesato granted him one. Unfortunately, there was no one who could speak English, and Drakken's attempts to communicate with hand signals were getting nowhere. So Drakken stooped down, picked up a stick and began to draw shapes in the dirt.

"What is that?" Hidesato's curiosity was genuinely aroused by this strange, blue man.

"A throwing axe?" Masahru speculated, "Is that what he wants?"

"Looks more like an ordinary hammer." Hidesato replied. He then looked up at Drakken, leaned forward, and spoke loudly and slowly, "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? A HAMMER?"

Masaharu tried to stifle a chuckle.

"What is it?" Hidesato turned inquisitive eyes upon his daimyo.

"My lord, I do not believe he is deaf."

Hidesato threw up his hands and grunted, "It's worse than trying to talk to a Chinaman. This one speaks in odd grunts and wails."

Masaharu ordered an attendant to go get a hammer. Meanwhile Drakken continued to draw in the dirt. Hidesato leaned forward and peered at the shapes.

"That must be a saw. It doesn't look like anything else." Masaharu observed. "I think he wants tools."

The attendant returned with the hammer. Hidesato took it and held it out to Drakken, who took it and then seemed to think for a moment. He stooped over once again and drew a large stick figure in the dirt, then placed the hammer in the stick figure's hand.

Hidesato and Masaharu looked at each other blankly.

Drakken stood up and pantomimed sawing, hammering, and so forth. Then pointed back at the stick figure holding the hammer.

"Ah!" Hidesato said, brightening, "He wants tools, and people who know how to use them."

"My lord?"

"Can we spare any builders or carpenters?"

"Can we spare anyone from our already outnumbered army, Hidesato-sama?" Masahru asked.

Hidesato stroked his beard thoughtfully, "His companions wield weapons of great power. Perhaps he might have some skill in building. Maybe he knows of a method for quickly building a fortress or something of that nature; increase our defensive capabilities."

"Perhaps," Masahru agreed reluctantly, "I do know of ten or twelve conscripts who are master-builders but very bad at soldiering."

"Perfect," Hidesato concluded. He nodded at Drakken again, "WE WILL GIVE YOU SOME BUILDERS."

"Not deaf my lord."

"Oh, right. See that he gets whatever is needed. Anything except extra rations of food or weapons we cannot spare. I think we might just see a castle spring up around these caves."

"As you wish, my lord."

* * *

"Which way?"

"There."

"There? You are sure?"

"_Hai."_

Ron carried a very weak Sensei on his back. After cutting him down from the pole, he found the old master couldn't stand up under his own power. So he hoisted Sensei up onto his back and gave him the White Orchid Blade to hold above them as a light in the rainy darkness. Every five minutes or so, Sensei would wave the Blade tip in tiny circles and a pale blue light would flare up again, traveling up and down the Blade in a spiral arc.

To Sensei, Ron's grasp of Japanese was not better then what you or I might consider the barest grasp of English. Ron was able to communicate most of what he wanted through halting words and hand gestures, but every now and then Sensei would ask him something he wouldn't understand.

He knew at one point Sensei was asking him about the Orchid Blade itself. But he didn't know the words. So finally he simply pointed at himself and said "Tai Xing Pek Wah."

That seemed to satisfy Sensei at least for the time being.

Ron knew Hidesato had taken his army to the north, but also knew that to set off in that direction would be risky, since they might run into Monkey Fist's or Ishigawa's soldiers. Ron had forgotten all about the Tempus Simia, though the Lotus Blade still occupied an occasional thought in the back of his mind. Now his main concern was the well being of his old master. Once he got Sensei to relative safety, he'd resume his quest for the Lotus Blade… and the Tempus Simia of course.

After some halting communication, Ron decided they should head east, away from the castle, and away from any pursuit of Hidesato's army. Ron was able to walk a good three hours before needing a rest. By that time, the rain had lessened somewhat, but an even greater problem presented itself.

They had come to the edge of a high, steep bluff. Ron set Sensei down and took the Orchid Blade from him. Slashing it in a horizontal motion, though angled downward, Ron watched keenly as an arc of light traveled out into the night before him. It moved downward until it reached the bottom of the slope and then simply disappeared into the earth. Ron was able to learn precisely what he hoped wasn't true.

The bluff was impassable.

Even in dry daylight weather Ron realized he'd probably be nervous climbing down such a precarious cliff. It was at least a three hundred foot drop. Descending in the dark, in the rain, was out of the question.

Ron waited a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the dark. Suddenly, a greenish light appeared behind him. Ron turned and beheld Sensei, sitting cross-legged with his arms stretched straight out on either side of him. A greenish sphere formed around him and lifted him off the ground. Slowly, he descended the bluff, and the sphere disappeared when he reached the bottom.

"Now what am I supposed to do?" Ron muttered to himself.

Below him, the green sphere appeared again and hovered up to where he was standing. The sphere faded out and Ron found Sensei sitting cross-legged at his feet.

"You come?" Sensei asked in Japanese. He spoke in short sentences so Ron would understand.

"I… not know how." Ron said after searching for the words.

"Tai Xing Pek Wah?" Sensei asked.

"Hai," Ron replied.

Sensei nodded, "You know how."

"Huh?"

Sensei motioned for him to sit down. Ron planted himself in the mud and stretched his arms out on either side of him.

"You think float," Sensei said slowly.

"I think float?" Ron asked in broken Japanese. Then said aloud to himself in English: "Oh, you want me to imagine myself floating. OK."

Ron closed his eyes and pictured himself rising above the ground, then out over the bluff and beginning to descend. Ron thought as hard as he could about all this but it was no use. He felt nothing, heard nothing, nothing was happening.

"It's no good, Sensei." Ron said, forgetting himself and speaking in English, "I think it will take me awhile to learn how to-… AAAAHHH!"

Ron opened his eyes mid-sentence and found himself enveloped by a crimson sphere. The sphere disappeared and Ron then found himself in mid-air, about twenty feet above the bottom of the bluff.

He fell the rest of the way and landed with a hard, muddy _fwump_ that knocked the wind out of him. Fortunately for him the ground was not only muddy, but still steeply sloped. If he had landed on dry, flat ground he probably would have broken a few bones. Ron tumbled over and over and finally came to a rest at the very bottom of the bluff. Sensei was sitting there cross-legged.

"Mostly good." He said with a slight nod.

Ron lay there, struggling to regain his breath and unable to believe what he'd just done. All he had to do was imagine himself floating and it had happened without him even knowing it. It amazed him that it was something he was never able to master at Yamanuchi, but here it had come so easily. Ron realized it was probably because he'd been using the mystical monkey power so much since he'd arrived, that now it simply came to him naturally.

He struggled to his feet and made his way over to Sensei.

"Ran?" Sensei asked.

"Huh?"

"Ohana. Ran?"

"The Orchid Blade! I forgot it!" Ron exclaimed in English, smacking himself on the forehead. He looked back up at the bluff with a somewhat frightened expression on his face, not really sure he wanted to go through that experience again. Not the floating, but the falling.

Sensei chuckled weakly and floated back up the side of the bluff, retrieved the Blade, then came back to sit on the ground next to Ron. He pointed eastward.

Ron stood up and looked. There were lights. Two of them, very likely lanterns, were burning on the eastern end of the valley. Ron hoisted Sensei up on to his back once more and set out.

Two hours later they found themselves in a tiny farming village and knocked on the first door they came to. An old, bleary-eyed farmer slid aside his door to behold a vary tall, very muddy stranger carrying an old man upon his back.

What surprised Ron and Sensei was the fact that the farmer himself was not surprised at all. He merely nodded, put on his sandals, and led them to the barn.

Inside it was warm and dry, a small lantern burned in the far corner. The old farmer led them past stalls with goats and oxen and came to the far stall where a young man lay sleeping. He was obviously recovering from recently sustained injuries.

Sensei peered over Ron's shoulder and uttered a grunt of surprise.

"Kintaro-chan?"

* * *

Kim was tired, and cold, and hungry, and miserable. So was Shego. And though Veronica said she was cold and hungry, she still seemed to actually be enjoying all this. They had set out from their little shelter that morning without a clue as to where they should be going. The direction of the castle was out of the question, and to the south was Ishigawa's territory. If anyone saw them, word would get back to Ishigawa and they'd soon be captured. So they decided to head west, away from the castle.

But to the west was desolate, lonely country. There were no farms, no villages, no structures of any kind. Just rocky, hilly terrain with an occasional lake or stream to drink from. Their progress was slow, but since they weren't sure what exactly they were progressing toward, they didn't seem to mind. Several times they saw wild deer, and once even a wild boar. Veronica could have easily brought them down with the Cactus Blade, but since none of them had any fire starting equipment, killing a wild animal would have been pointless. Shego pointed out grimly that they would probably be content to eat one raw once they got hungry enough.

The rain finally cleared out, though it remained overcast, and they were unable to get completely dry. That night, the three of them huddled together under a tree and tried their best to get warm. No one felt much like talking.

Veronica began to wonder what raw deer tasted like.

The other two began to wonder if they would really come to much harm if they went back to the castle and surrendered themselves. At least they would be warm and fed.

As they tried to get to sleep, hunger gnawing at their insides, they became aware of a dim, bluish green light not too far away from them. All three sat up at once, unsure of what to do. There was no sound, just a swirling apparition of blue and green.

To Kim, it all looked familiar and she began to wonder where she'd seen it before.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Ron was sitting cross-legged, floating in the air a few feet away from them.

"Kim?" Ron looked transparent, and his voice had a slight echo-y quality to it, "Kim, I hope you're getting this. I can't see you or hear you at all."

"Ron?" Kim stood up and took a step toward her floating husband, "Ron, can you hear m-?"

"I really hope you're getting this," Ron repeated, "All I can see is this fuzzy image of a tree. Anyway, from what Sensei has indicated, this sort of communication is one way. Kinda like mystical e-mail. Oh yeah, I found Sensei, and we're with Kintaro in a barn in a tiny village east of the castle."

Ron seemed to fade a little.

"No," Kim breathed and reached her hand out. Where her husband appeared to be floating was only air. "Don't go. Please, not yet."

"OK," Ron's image came back, "Sorry about that. Um, if you're alive, and you're getting this, then you need to head north. Kintaro says his father has a supply cache in a network of caves to the north. If you got out of the castle all right, then start heading in that direction. If you're still in the castle, sit tight, don't tell them anything, and we'll come get you as soon as we can, OK? I hope you're OK. I need to go now, doing this takes a lot of energy and concentration. I love you…"

He said a few more things but none of them could quite tell what they were. At 'I love you', Ron's voice began to fade. Finally his voice and image faded altogether and they were left standing under the tree.

Shego muttered something under her breath.

"What was that?" Kim asked.

"I was just saying to myself that I wasn't just imagining things the last time I saw Ron do that." Shego explained.

"You've seen him do that before?"

"Yeah," Shego said bewildered, "So have you."

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember? It was about twelve years ago. I was teaching Senor Senior Junior how to be a better villain. His dad had hired me." Shego said.

"I remember that," Kim confirmed, "Go on."

"OK, well, I had you trapped in this giant mixer thingy full of cookie dough. And suddenly the buff- uh, I mean, Ron appeared just like he did tonight. He spoke some things to you but I couldn't quite hear what it was. Back then I thought I was seeing things."

"I thought _I_ was seeing things," Kim said astonished, "I thought I was just remembering something he said to me in Home Economics class. So you saw that, too?"

"Yeah," Shego answered, "But like I said, I thought I was seeing things, so I never said anything about it."

"'It comes and goes.'" Kim murmured to herself.

"What?"

"Ron used to say his mystical monkey power comes and goes. I guess that day it came when he really needed it… or when I really needed it. Wow." Kim was lost in memories of adventures gone by.

"OK" Veronica finally spoke up, "So we need to head north. Do we know which way that is?"

"We should in the morning", Shego responded, "We just need to see which way the sun comes up and keep it on our right. That'll be north."

"If it's not cloudy," Veronica pointed out.

"Well, obviously." Shego replied.

"OK", Kim said happily, "We need to get some sleep. Then tomorrow we head north."

No one needed to ask Kim what had lightened her mood so much.

Kim had a hard time getting to sleep that night. When she finally did fall asleep, she dreamed of her wedding night, and of a few interesting portions of her honeymoon.

* * *

Fukushima sat brooding.

Monkey Fist was away again, spending more time with Yori. He spent a lot of time with her, and seemed to forget Fukushima existed. Once again, Fukushima found himself ostracized in a place where he had expected to be of some importance.

He didn't trust Yori. He was convinced that she was only playing along with Monkey Fist in order to get to the Tempus Simia. But a change seemed to come over her, and Fukushima couldn't exactly say what it was. A certain gleam had come into her eye, and she seemed genuinely eager to help Monkey Fist, where initially she seemed cold and distant to him.

Now, she spent a lot of time near the Tempus Simia but thus far had made no attempt to take or destroy it. What had come over her? Fukushima had never heard the words 'Chronotheta Radiation', nor was he aware of its effects on a person. All he knew was that this was not the same Yori who had been captured a couple of days ago. Not only had she become complacent, she'd become compliant.

For his part, Fukushima realized he had failed yet again. Failed in his plans to make a name for himself, to be remembered. He didn't care what he would be remembered as; hero or villain, it was all the same to him. He just wanted his name to go down in history, to be remembered as either important, or infamous.

When he was ousted from Yamanuchi, he was devastated. He'd loved Sensei, and relished his teaching. But things had taken a bad turn for Fukushima. He resented the attention Sensei paid to Ron, who was nothing more than a Gaijin, an outsider.

He'd had a chance meeting with Monkey Fist some months before Ron first came to Yamanuchi. He caught the monkey man observing the school from a distance, in the early stages of his plan to steal the Lotus Blade. Monkey Fist had tried to recruit Fukushima in his scheme, but the young warrior refused.

But then came Stoppable, and Sensei seemed to pay all manner of special attention to the young buffoon. If the Lotus Blade was stolen, perhaps Sensei might turn to Fukushima for help. And then he'd win back his master's favor.

But no. Sensei went to Stoppable for help, and then to Yori. And before he could do anything to cover his tracks, Yori had learned of Fukushima's treachery. The best he could hope for was that Monkey Fist would succeed, and Yori and Ron would be eliminated.

It all spiraled beyond his control. Near the end, all he thought about was eliminating Ron Stoppable, the man who'd stolen glory that should have been rightfully his. And he failed even in that.

Now look at what had become of his life.

No glory, no fame.

No one would ever know that Fukushima existed. In fact, Monkey Fist no longer paid any attention to him. Yori cast one glance in his direction and ignored him thereafter.

The worst part for him was the fact that he'd done all this to himself. He was here as a result of the choices he'd made, and now it was eating him up inside.

"Boy!" Monkey Fist's voice jolted Fukushima from his thoughts. He no longer even called Fukushima by his name.

"What is it?" Fukushima asked disinterestedly.

"I need you to come with me. There are rumors floating that Stoppable and an old man are holed up in a village east of here. We're going to go see if these rumors are correct."

"How do you know it's Stoppable?"

"There cannot be too many yellow-haired men in this country."

"Why don't you take the girl?"

"I left her in charge of the Tempus Simia. You will come with me." Monkey Fist grabbed Fukushima by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

Reluctantly, Fukushima accompanied Monkey Fist outside and found most of the Koji – ugly ape-like creatures that walked upright but had the faces of orangutans – assembled and waiting outside. For good measure, Monkey Fist decided to bring along one of the dragons.

Fukushima noted that Monkey Fist seemed to no longer need the idol to control or communicate with his army.

He also noted with some bemusement that any hatred and bitterness he felt was no longer directed at Ron Stoppable.

* * *

"How many?"

"About fifty thousand, my lord."

"Sooner than we expected," Hidesato turned to Masaharu, "But not his full force."

"My lord," The scout spoke up. To speak to one superior in rank without being spoken to was forbidden in Japanese society. Hidesato took it to mean he had something very important to say.

"Proceed," He nodded.

"Thank you Hidesato-sama," The scout bowed low, "I believe it is worth noting that Ishigawa is not with them. Only his daimyo, Momoye."

Hidesato leaned forward with interest, "You are sure of this?"

"Yes, my lord, this particular piece of information cost one of our scouts his life."

"You did the right thing telling me of this," Hidesato waved his hand, "You may go. And in the future, bear in mind that no piece of information is worth one of my soldier's lives. Is that understood?"

"Wakarimas," the scout bowed low and began backing out of the chamber, "Domo arigato."

"Fifty thousand is still a superior force," Masaharu warned.

"True," Hidesato acknowledged, "But the fact that he does not even bother to attend the final victory of his campaign speaks of his arrogance. It is intended as an insult, and I will make sure to pass that insult along to my men."

Masaharu chuckled, "That will certainly get their blood up."

"Perhaps enough to send Momoye back to his master with his tail between his legs, eh?"

"Perhaps," Masahru said with some doubt in his voice.

"What of the blue man?" Hidesato asked, "Did he build the defenses up as I had thought?"

Masaharu shook his head, "He has built three wagons, my lord."

"Three wagons? That is all?"

"Three wagons in three days is pretty good."

"Yes, but we have no need of wagons." Hidesato said in an annoyed tone of voice.

"He's seen our supply trains head out," Masaharu observed, "Perhaps he simply wishes to help with that effort."

"Perhaps," Hidesato muttered then stood up, "Momoye will be at the pass by this afternoon. It is my intention that if he does not attack us straight away, then we will fall upon him and battle his forces while they are still tired from their march."

"An excellent plan, my lord. We can be ready to march in two hours."

Hidesato nodded, "See to it."

* * *

"Quiet!" Ron whispered frantically in Japanese, "Must be quiet!"

Sensei looked at the youngest girl and said soft, soothing words to her. The girl whimpered then fell silent.

Sensei, Kintaro, Ron, and the daughters of the family of farmers were all huddled in the furthest stall in the back of the barn. Outside, the Koji stalked through the village, turning over carts, searching through houses, and generally destroying everything in the search for the rumored stranger. The farmers elected to stay outside the barn to try and convince the monkey demon that no one was on their farm, but their three daughters they sent into the barn to hide with Kintaro, Sensei and Ron.

The villagers were terrified. The monkey dragon was bad enough, but this half-man/half-monkey was truly frightening. He had a murderous look in his eye, and the stories of his brutalities had traveled all over Japan. But still the villagers kept quiet. Though they did not personally know Sensei, they knew of him. They knew he had been Hidesato's instructor. Furthermore, they knew that Kintaro was Hidesato's son, and they were determined to protect him at all costs.

One of the village elders had already died when he attacked the Monkey Dragon with a crude rake.

Ron tried to figure out when the best time to strike would be. Eventually the Koji would enter the barn and discover them, and Ron wasn't exactly sure what they would-

The barn door opened.

Ron silently crawled to the front of the stall and gripped the Orchid Blade in his hands. He took several quiet breaths and made ready to pounce upon the creature when it showed itself.

The sound of feet approached.

Ron crouched, gripped the Blade even tighter and looked up into the face of-

"Fukushima!" he exclaimed quietly.

Fukushima opened his mouth as if to shout something, then caught his breath as he spotted Sensei.

"Master…" he said in wonder. "I thought you might be dead."

"I remember you," Sensei said impassively, "You serve the monkey demon. Do I know you?"

"You taught me when I was young." Fukushima forgot himself and his surroundings.

"I doubt I taught you to serve the monkey demon," Sensei replied.

Fukushima stepped back as though punched in the face. "No… no you did not."

"If I surrender," Ron whispered in English, "Will you let these others go?"

Fukushima gazed from Sensei to the three frightened girls. Without saying a word, he turned and walked out of the barn.

Ron gave the others an inquisitive look, then crept to the barn door and listened as hard as he could.

"What did you find?" Monkey Fist asked him in English.

"I…" Fukushima's hesitation was obvious, as was the subsequent defiant tone in his voice, "I found nothing."

"If you found nothing, then why did you hesitate to answer?"

"There is an old farmer cowering with his pigs in the barn. I decided after some thought that it was not worth mentioning." Fukushima said evenly.

"You lie," Monkey Fist snarled. He turned to the nearest Koji and spoke aloud, though he did not need to, "Search the barn. Kill everything you find in there. If you find any weapons, bring them to me."

Three seconds later, that Koji lay dead near the barn door, killed with his own sword. Fukushima glared down at the dead ogre, then turned a wrathful gaze on Monkey Fist gripping the Koji's sword in his tightly clenched fist.

"I said there is nothing in the barn." He growled.

* * *

TJ and Kimono hadn't seen Drakken in three days. Drakken had been given a large pavilion and stayed inside it most of the time. Whenever Kimono went to visit him, he would come outside to talk with her, but would gently refuse to let her in.

"Just a few projects of mine," He would say with a glint in his eye.

Kimono knew that glint. He was working on some sort of scheme, but she couldn't figure out what, and he wouldn't tell her either.

"Yeah, but what could it possibly be?" TJ asked as they rode out with Hidesato's army to meet Momoye's forces, "Most of what your dad worked on in his life were destructive ray weapons and such, all of which needed electricity. He doesn't exactly have a supply of that here."

"Right" Kimono agreed, "But, I mean, you don't think he's working on something to maybe take over _this_ world, do you? Why is he being so secretive about it?"

TJ shrugged his shoulders, "You got me. Frankly, this whole situation is messed up. Mom and Dad are missing, no word on Veronica and Shego, and your dad's locked himself in a tent with like, twenty Japanese dudes. None of this makes any sense."

They had decided to stay with Hidesato's army. Since Ron was supposedly going after the Lotus Blade, then there was no need to put him in any kind of jeopardy by trying to follow him. Sooner or later, Hidesato's army would very likely be facing off against Monkey Fist's forces. Or Hidesato would be defeated and they would be captured, and perhaps be brought before Monkey Fist. Either way, the best thing was to stay put. But often during that period of waiting, they found themselves wishing they had something to do besides worry about missing family members.

Today they hadn't seen Drakken or his workers at all. When she went to his pavilion to tell him she and TJ were going to ride out to the battle with Hidesato, she found it empty of any human beings, though a lot of what looked like half-finished wagons and other assorted gizmos were lying about. Kimono couldn't make sense of any of it.

A scout came riding up fast, interrupting Kimono's thoughts. He said something to Hidesato, then looked at her. Hidesato then turned to look at her as well.

TJ and Kimono looked at each other and shrugged.

Hidesato barked something at Kimono in Japanese then put his horse into a trot. He stopped, turned in his saddle, and motioned for Kimono, and presumably TJ, to follow. Masaharu left orders with one of his commanders and rode out ahead with Hidesato, TJ and Kimono. The whole party followed the scout that had just ridden in with the message for Hidesato.

They rode for several miles at a brisk trot and came to a fairly narrow pass, the other side of which Hidesato was hoping to station his forces and cease Momoye's ingress. But several things became apparent at once.

First, Momoye had arrived sooner than everyone expected. Already his army was on the far side of the valley and marching toward the pass. Hidesato's army would not arrive in time to defend the pass, which meant he would be at a disadvantage in the wider plain behind him.

The second thing everyone noticed were three wagons sitting at the entrance to the pass, spaced an equal distance apart and apparently facing toward the oncoming enemy. Drakken was moving from one wagon to the next, inspecting wheels and adjusting this or that.

But the truly odd thing was the wagons themselves. They looked sort of like gypsy wagons, but were made of bamboo and had no roof. On one side of the interior of each wagon was a large, vertical wheel that looked a little bit like a huge gear. Next to the wheel was a large box under which were several things like smaller gears, levers, and a pulley or two. On the front was a long, large bamboo pole that protruded out from the apparatus, parallel to the ground. The entire contraption was mounted on a very large horizontal wheel that was itself mounted to the bottom of the wagon. Two of Drakken's builders sat at the rear of each wagon, one next to what looked like a crank handle, and the other one next to several levers. On the ground next to each wagon were several boxes that looked very similar to the one mounted by the large vertical wheel.

"Daddy, what on earth…?" Kimono asked as they rode up.

"Oh good," Drakken said, glancing up at them, "You're here. Better tell Hidesato to get his army set up because it looks like they'll be here pretty soon."

"I think he knows that, Daddy, but the army's several miles behind us. We're going to have to pull back."

"No can do," Drakken stated matter-of-factly, "We hold here or the whole thing is lost. Hidesato's forces can't win on an open-plain battlefield. Ishigawa's army has the greater numbers… for now. Tell him to get them here is quickly as possible."

"Daddy, I can't speak Japanese."

"Oh very well," Drakken sighed and threw up his hands. He walked up to Hidesato's horse and drew a bunch of lines in the dirt with his finger, then pointed back the way they had all come.

"I think he's talking about our troops," Masaharu guessed.

"You are very good at this," Hidesato complimented his Daimyo.

"I used to play this game with my children," Masaharu admitted.

Drakken was motioning all around him.

"He wants the army brought up here," Hidesato guessed and then turned to Drakken, "I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT, BUT I CANNOT!"

Drakken pointed at his ear, then gave a thumbs up.

"I think he means his hearing is fine, my lord." Masaharu explained.

Hidesato cast an annoyed glance at his daimyo and then turned toward Drakken. He motioned to the three wagons, the builders, and then Drakken himself, and pointed behind him in a 'come-along' sort of gesture.

Drakken shook his head. Then turned and walked back toward the wagons.

"I don't think he's coming." Masaharu guessed.

The enemy forces drew closer. Those in the forward lines drew their weapons.

"Where are his archers?" Hidesato demanded from the scout.

"We were unable to establish the presence of any archers," The scout replied, "Surely if he had them they would have fired upon us by now."

"Unmitigated arrogance," Hidesato muttered, then turned to Masaharu, "Let the blue man do what he will. We must get back to our forces."

"Yes, my lord," Masaharu acknowledged. He cast one last glance at the onward marching enemy then turned to ride back to the army.

"What do we do?" TJ asked his wife.

"I want to stay with Daddy. But if you really don't think we should…" Kimono's trailed off, but her eyes pleaded with him. She didn't necessarily want to stay in a situation that would surely mean their deaths. But she couldn't bear the thought of leaving her father behind. Neither did she want her husband to be in any danger. Kimono found herself torn.

"Then we'll stay," TJ said lightly. He dismounted his horse.

"Are you sure?" She asked in a trembling voice.

"Home is wherever you are," TJ said quietly, taking her in his arms, "Our place is with each other. I won't ask you to leave your dad behind. But if you're gone, I wouldn't find much enthusiasm in living without you."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him, "I love you, husband."

"I love you too, Kim." He said when their lips parted.

The enemy was close enough that their individual footsteps could be heard. They didn't utter a word, all of them curious and wary at the sight that lay before them. Feet marched upon the ground, weapons slid out of their sheaths.

Momoye rode at the head of his forces but did not order them to halt. Believing the wagons to be of no consequence, he was sure they were some sort of distraction while Hidesato's forces lay just around the bend in the pass.

TJ drew the Black Orchid Blade and hefted it in his hands. Kimono flared up her fists and eyes. They kissed each other once more and then walked toward the wagons.

"There's no need for your combat skills yet." Drakken said placidly, "Let Daddy handle things for awhile."

The opposing army was now twenty yards away. Still they did not charge, but continued to march steadily forward.

Drakken turned and nodded to each of the builders in the wagons. The builders sitting at the cranks began to turn their handles. Whirring and clicking noises came from each wagon, the large horizontal wheel inside each vehicle began to turn.

_Fwip!_ _Fwip! Fwip!_

An arrow sailed out of each bamboo pole. Two of the three arrows buried themselves into Momoye, and drove him backwards, tumbling off his saddle. He was dead before he hit the ground.

_Fwipfwipfwipfwipfwipfwipfwipfwipfwip…_

Before anyone could react, arrows spewed forth from the bamboo pole on each wagon in rapid-fire fashion. The builders working the levers began to push and pull their respective handles and each apparatus slowly began to rotate.

"Your dad built tanks!" TJ shouted in excitement. "Way to go Dr. D!"

"Fo shizzle, T Jizzle!" Drakken said with a nod at his son-in-law.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Monkey Fist demanded.

"You heard me," Fukushima snarled, "I said there is nothing in the barn but an old farmer and his pigs. You can either take my word for it, or I will kill any creature you attempt to send into the barn."

"How dare you-!"

"How dare I what? Become fed up with your treatment of me? How dare I refuse to allow you to take the innocent lives of the people in this village? How dare I actually question your judgment? Tell me something, Monkey Demon, at what point did Montgomery Fiske abandon reason for madness?"

Monkey Fist flew into a rage and charged at Fukushima drawing the Magnolia Blades – which included the newly recovered second Blade – as he came.

"Treacherous whelp!" he screamed, and was upon his onetime apprentice.

Fukushima managed to block one Blade, but the other found its target, plunging into his upper leg. Fukushima uttered a cry of pain and agony, then turned and sliced at Fist. Monkey Fist dodged the attack, then withdrew a couple of steps, sizing up his opponent. Fukushima was already aware that Monkey Fist was learning his weaknesses, finding his vulnerabilities. He charged, hoping Fist didn't have time to ascertain such things.

Fukushima's blade sliced through the air with astonishing speed. Monkey Fist blocked the incoming blade with both of his, but it was not Fukushima's primary method of attack. As Monkey Fist looked up, he was just in time to see Fukushima bring his head forward with all his strength, slamming it into Monkey Fist's face and shattering his nose.

Fist screamed in pain, but Fukushima didn't let up. As Fist stepped backward, Fukushima followed up with a hurtling fist into the freshly broken nose. Monkey Fist moaned as blinding pain threatened to rob him of consciousness.

"Defend me!" he whimpered.

Instantly the Koji and Monkey Dragon fell upon Fukushima.

"NO!" Came a loud cry followed by a blinding arc of light that spread through the village. The monkey beasts were temporarily blinded, but those that had reached Fukushima continued to maul and claw at him.

Ron dispatched three Koji as they tried to recover from the blinding flash, then squared off against two others.

"It's Stoppable!" Monkey Fist screamed, "Capture that one alive. But kill the traitor."

The Koji all rushed Ron while the Monkey Dragon fell upon Fukushima.

Ron sliced the air again, and again a blinding arc of light spread out before him. But Monkey Fist, now with the assistance of the Magnolia Blades, had learned what was coming and screamed "shield your eyes!" even as Ron was slicing through the air.

The Koji stopped for a fraction of a second, covered their eyes, and then were all over Ron.

Inside the barn, Kintaro was trying to go out and help Ron fight, but Sensei ordered him to stay in.

"But why?" Kintaro whispered savagely.

"You and I are both still weak from our wounds. We would be of no help, and then we would be dead. It is my duty to see that you get safely to your father." Sensei whispered calmly. "Whatever happens to the yellow-haired warrior, I do not think he will be killed right away. We will deal with the situation accordingly when we can. He has saved my life, and I will not forget it."

_Nor will I,_ Kintaro vowed silently.

Ron went down hard, taking several blows to the face and head, but no weapons were used on him. The White Orchid Blade was wrenched from his grasp and he was pinned by dozens of strong arms.

"Bind him!" Monkey Fist cried in triumph.

Then, a snarling, hooting wail erupted behind Monkey Fist. He whirled around to see his beloved Monkey Dragon collapsing, Fukushima's blade in its throat. Fukushima stood glaring at the Dragon, then looked up at Monkey Fist. A malicious but dazed grin spread across Fukushima's face, and then he collapsed over the body of the slain Dragon.

"Fukushima!" Ron called out. He'd been hauled to his feet and his hands were bound behind him.

But his former rival was dead.

"Bring him!" Monkey Fist snarled.

Ron was tied to a pole and hauled away.

Fukushima was given a hero's burial, and word spread of the brave warrior's battle with the monkey demon and the dragon. As far as anyone was concerned, he saved the lives of the villagers, as well as Kintaro.

In honor of the hero's sacrifice, the inhabitants renamed that area after him.

There is still a Fukushima Prefecture in the Mutsu Province of Japan to this day.

* * *

Hundreds of arrows sliced through the air. The 'tanks' slowly rotated so as to spread the out the firing pattern. Dozens of enemy soldiers were dead before their comrades could take a single step in retreat. The opposing front lines were swathed in a deadly spray of arrows and dozens more enemy soldiers were brought down.

Kimono heard horse hooves behind her. She turned to see Hidesato and Masaharu riding up, having been retrieved by an astonished scout. Their jaws hung open in abject wonder.

Leaderless, and without armor, the opposing lines began to collapse and fall back.

Then the arrows ran out.

The opposing lines hesitated, turned, and charged at the wagons.

"That's right!" Drakken taunted the enemy soldiers, "Charge at us! What could possibly go wrong for you now?"

Drakken signaled to several builders who were hiding behind rocks nearby. Six men scrambled out of their hiding places and ran to the wagons, two to each. They lifted the box at the top of the apparatus off and replaced it with another that had been lying near by. The cranks resumed turning and once more, arrows streamed out of the 'barrel' of each 'tank'.

Timed almost perfectly, the opposing lines ran headlong into the deadly projectiles. Once again, they turned and were now in a full panic.

TJ stepped forward and slashed the air in front of him with the Black Orchid Blade. A wave of darkness spread out before him. Enemy soldiers were suddenly convinced they were struck blind and the panic was fueled even further. They began to collide with each other, blindly trying to escape the wrath of these strange wagons and the sudden, though temporary, darkness.

Drakken motioned again, and the builders began to push the wagons forward, spewing arrows into the seething, confused mass of humanity that struggled to retreat from the pass.

The first of Hidesato's soldiers arrived, their jaws also hanging in amazement.

Hidesato dismounted his horse, organized several companies of soldiers, and ordered a charge The lord of Mutsu would lead the first wave. Masaharu was to stay behind and order subsequent pursuit charges, but they were ordered not to pursue further than the village of Itsu.

TJ, caught up in the heady excitement of victory, charged in at Hidesato's side. They easily caught the retreating soldiers, who were stumbling over each other to get away, and began to decimate the enemy forces.

Drakken ceased firing and the wagons rolled to a stop.

Kimono stepped over to the wagon where Drakken was standing and looked up at him in open admiration.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed, "You actually found a way to use science to help us out!"

"It's not just science, my dear Kimono," Drakken said, beaming at his daughter, "It's MAD SCIENCE! THE DOPEST, FRESHEST, HYPEST SCIENCE THERE IS, YO! MWAAA HAA HA HA HA HA HA HA…"

Drakken stood on the center wagon in triumph, laughing maniacally as wave after wave of Hidesato's soldiers charged forth. Drakken's assistants – whom TJ would later dub The Drakkenites – all assumed that this was some sort of traditional victory celebration in whatever world Drakken was from.

So they joined in.

Drakken stood surrounded by twenty Japanese builders and carpenters, all with their fists clenched, all laughing maniacally.

It was such an absurd sight that Kimono couldn't help bursting into laughter herself, and The Drakkenites all figured she was just joining in the celebration.

And, after a moment, that's just what she did. She climbed up on the wagon next to her father, clenched her fists, laughing maniacally with the rest of them.

* * *

He stood alone in a small room in the castle. There were guards posted at the only door.

Then, a familiar face climbed silently through the window.

"Yori?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'not exactly?'"

"I think you know who am, Ron. You have figured it out before."

"I don't understand. Why are you whispering?"

"Because Apollyon might overhear."

"Apollyon?"

"Yes. Do you not understand? You are still trapped within the simulation."

"Huh?"

"Appolyon still has you trapped within his simulated world."

"But Kim-"

"Is not real. She was programmed to draw you away from reality…. I am the real Kim. I am your wife. Just like last time."

"But last time you had green eyes."

"Yes, but Apollyon has learned from that trick. Now I must look, act and sound like Yori so he will not know."

"…"

"I know, it is a lot to absorb… sweetheart. But we will get through this together. You must trust me."

"All this time… Kim was… Oh, man… I need to sit down."

"Ron, you must… but he is coming! Ask him who he really is… I will hide under the bed. Do not tell him about me or we will both be killed."

The half-man/half-monkey strode into the room.

"Well, well, Stoppable, what shall we do with you, eh?"

"Tell me something."

"What is it?"

"Are you really Monkey Fist? Or do you go by the name Apollyon?"

"So… you figured it all out. Bravo young warrior. I was beginning to believe you would never catch on. Now that you know who I really am, I suppose I should just… but no matter. You cannot escape from this world because I have learned from the last time you tricked me. If Yori shows up, green eyes or no, I will kill you both."

And he left. Yori crawled out from under the bed.

"I can't believe this. What should I call you? Yori or Kim?"

"Whatever is comfortable for you…darling. Do you believe me now?"

"I… I guess I do."

"Good, then I may know of a way we can escape. At least, we can escape the castle, and hide from him within this simulated world while we figure a way to get out."

"Oh…OK."

"Ron?"

"Yes?"

"There probably isn't time for this…but would you do something for me?"

"OK."

"Tell me you love me."

"I… I love you…Kim."

"I love you, too."

She put her arms around him and kissed him.


	22. XXI

Author's notes: Japanese is an ever-evolving language. Most languages are, but Japanese seems to be among the most flexible in the world. For instance, the Japanese word for 'flower' is 'hana'. After some research, I found out that at some point in the past it was probably 'ohana'. Another example; the modern Japanese word for 'thank you' is 'arigato'. It used to be 'domo', and then if you wanted to say 'thank you very much' it was 'domo arigato'. What used to be words that addressed only men ('sama', 'san', and 'chan') are now different; 'sama' has pretty much been dropped, and 'chan' and 'khun' are becoming formal address suffixes for boys and girls. Unfortunately, I don't have access to an ancient Japanese dictionary, so most conversational Japanese in this story is from a modern dictionary, which means we have something of a hodge podge of ancient and modern Japanese linguistics in this story. I suppose I could have left it out altogether, but I wanted it to have a bit of authentic flavor.

My thanks to all who are reading.

My grateful thanks to the reviewers: MrDrP, LKillingsworth, cwizard, JPMod, Invader Thing, Texas Dad, jasminevr, Lydia King, bdburns7289, Spooks-A-Lot, Muttly, demon-sword, WesUAH, aimtbj, chao-hellsing, Sestren NK, Zaratan, Porphyria-Kris, recon228, Dreammergurl2007, mattb3671, Ace Ian Combat, Pseudo Juliet, Pwn Master Paladin, oneredneckgoddess, The Incredible Werekitty, Widow Shark, and Drakken Shego.

Alas, poor Yori, we thought we knew her…

* * *

XXI.

* * *

"Tell me exactly why I need you." Ishigawa looked at his counterpart with abject contempt.

"Because I have all but two of the Ohana Blades." Monkey Fist was still trying to get used to speaking Japanese. Because he'd been hearing almost nothing but Japanese over the last several months, the Magnolia Blades worked to help him remember all that he had heard, and discern the meanings and context of each word.

"What of it?" Ishigawa verbally shrugged, "I have conquered all of Japan. Hidesato's army will soon be defeated and the Shogunate will soon lie within my grasp."

"You have conquered Japan with my help." Fist reminded him. "We have an agreement."

"Your help has become unreliable of late." Ishigawa said icily. "You retreated from the field the day we took this castle."

"I rode from the battle in triumph. I captured the Lotus Blade; a better prize than this mere structure of stone and mortar." Monkey Fist matched Ishigawa's icy tone. "There are only two Blades left to be captured. While you have yet to conquer Hidesato."

Ishigawa flew out of his throne in a rage, "Do not speak to me so impudently, monkey demon! I will soon be the emperor of this nation. You would be wise to learn your place."

Ishigawa had brought his face right up to Fist's, snarling and seething as he talked. Monkey Fist remained unfazed.

"Your nation is a tiny island. An insignificant part of a much larger world." Fist stepped back and looked about him, "You know, I rather like this world. Cleaner air, cheap labor… Perhaps I will stay here and conquer this one. You may be Emperor of Japan soon, but I will be supreme Monkey Ruler. Perhaps you would be wise to learn _your_ place."

Fist snapped his fingers. Four stone gorillas came bounding into the room, shaking the castle to its foundation with their movement. They each took up a position around Ishigawa and drew their swords. The monkey ninjas came scampering in afterward and gathered around Fist.

"Watch him at all times, even when he sleeps," Fist addressed the gorillas in Japanese for Ishigawa's benefit, "He may go where he likes, talk to whoever he likes. But he is to see no one in secret. If you become aware of any plot to eliminate me, destroy him. He may not command his army until I give my permission for him to do so."

"But I am marching a force of fifty thousand against Hidesato today!" Ishigawa protested.

"Send Momoye," Monkey Fist said evenly, then turned and began to exit the room, "My Monkey Ninjas will be with me at all times. If for some reason I am killed, they will come and report to their brethren here and you will be dead soon after. Once I have all the Ohana Blades, I will take Japan for myself, then move on to China, Mesopotamia, Rome, and then North America. My legacy shall be as the first Monkey King to truly rule the whole Earth. If you cooperate, I may leave you in charge of Japan."

"We had an agreement!" Ishigawa shouted, eyeing the stone gorillas nervously.

Monkey Fist stopped at the door, turned, and looked back at Ishigawa with a cold glare, "I am altering the agreement. Pray I don't alter it any further."

* * *

"Will you hurry up already? My feet are freezing!"

Veronica turned around and gave Shego an annoyed look, "No one's making you stand in the water."

"How else am I supposed to catch the fish?"

"If Veronica's idea works, maybe we won't have to catch them." Kim said placidly, then caught a look from Veronica, "What?"

"Ronnie-Anne."

"Huh?"

"Only my school teachers and Ray ever called me Veronica. To everyone else I'm Ronnie, or Ronnie-Anne."

"Oh!" realization came upon Kim, "We named you after both of us. 'Ronnie' for your father and 'Anne' for me."

"Yeah, plus Daddy always said 'Anne' made me sound like 'Unstoppable'."

"Right!" Kim said excitedly, "Ooh, I can't wait to get home and start having you and TJ!"

Shego snorted, "Now there's a sentence you don't hear very often. Can we get on with this? I'm starving."

Veronica chuckled and turned her attention back to the stream she was standing in. Hunger had finally driven them to try a somewhat dangerous idea. She stared at the small pool before her, then saw movement flicker beneath the surface.

"OK," She said hurriedly, "Brace yourselves."

Veronica brought the Cactus Blade swinging over her head and plunged it into the pool. A deep, resonating boom shook the earth. Several large rocks dislodged from the stream bank and fell into the water. The stream itself churned and frothed for a few seconds then settled again. Recently deceased fish began floating to the surface.

"It worked!" Kim squealed, then scrambled down the bank and into the water to gather up the fish.

"So where did you learn that?" Shego asked sarcastically as she went about gathering up her breakfast. "Did you date Dementor's kid or something?"

"No." Veronica shot back, "I saw it on TV once, some poachers were using dynamite to catch fish. Besides, Dementor didn't have kids. Wasn't interested in them. Wasn't all that interested in women either if you follow me."

"Dementor? Really?" Kim had a curiously shocked expression on her face, "I had no idea."

"I had my suspicions," Shego smirked. "So how do we cook these?"

"We don't," Veronica explained, "Come on, Shego, you're in the land of sushi. Just take a big ol' bite out of that fish!"

"Ugh!" Shego said, eyeing the fish she had clutched in her hand, "If I weren't so hungry, I'd be throwing up all over northern Japan right now."

The three women gathered their catches and scrambled up out of the water. Kim was smiling and humming tunelessly to herself as she took a small rock and began to scrape the scales off the fish.

"And if I wasn't nauseas before, I will be soon." Shego muttered, "I'm surrounded by perky Possibles."

"Stoppables." Both redheads barked simultaneously.

"The first woman who says 'jinx' will get a fish thrown at her." Shego growled.

Veronica and Kim looked at each other, shrugged, and each tossed a fish at Shego.

"You said it first," Veronica chirped in a perky tone meant to annoy her mother's green-skinned foe.

"Look," Shego said, ignoring Veronica, "We all know you're happy because you got some mystical monkey e-mail last night, but I don't see any reason why you have to be so chipper about it."

"Why not?" Kim asked evenly, "My husband's alive and well, and with Sensei. Plus, my kids totally rock, which is a nice thing to know before you have them. What's not to be chipper about? You know you could lighten up a little. You found out you're going to have at least one great kid, too."

"No kidding," Veronica agreed, fully intending the pun, "Kimono's great. She's kind, and warm, and funny. Always calls me her sister, not just 'sister-in-law'."

"'Always'?" Shego asked, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you were cut off from your family for the last seven years or so."

"You know what I mean," Veronica said, her tone growing icy. Then she checked herself. "No. No way. You are not going to ruin my good mood just because you've never been in one."

Shego's fists flared up. She took a step toward Veronica. "You're lucky you have that magic sword on you, Little Princess."

Before Shego even finished her sentence, Veronica turned and casually tossed the Cactus Blade to Kim, who caught it with a surprised look on her face. When she turned back toward Shego, she had a look of such ferocity that Shego actually took a step backward without knowing it.

"You want some of this? Right here? Is that what you want?" Veronica demanded with a quiet steeliness in her voice, "I've been intimidated long enough by bigger monsters than you. I am not about to start letting _you_ walk all over me."

"Whatever." Shego huffed, and began to turn away from Veronica.

Veronica's hand shot out and gripped Shego's arm in a vice even Shego didn't think she was capable of. The dark-haired villain found herself involuntarily turned back to face her arch foe's daughter.

"Don't step to me like that again," Veronica rumbled, just loud enough so that only Shego heard, "And if you do, you better bring kryptonite. Otherwise I will take your snarky attitude and cram it somewhere uncomfortable. Are you hearing me?"

"Let go of me." Shego meant for it to sound threatening, but it came out as a whimper. Her fists winked out.

"No problem!" Veronica chirped, resuming her cheerful demeanor.

Shego walked away a few paces, completely rattled.

Veronica calmly walked over to her mother and retrieved her weapon. Kim looked at her, offered a weak smile, but said nothing. Veronica didn't just seem to be emerging from her shell, she was exploding out of it. But why so abruptly? Was it the mystical monkey power within her?

_She's had that all along_, Kim thought to herself, _But then she never knew it, and she's never really used it until now._

It occurred to Kim that the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah was probably what kept Veronica from trying to end her life sooner; some innate sense within her that drove her to keep a small ember of hope burning, despite Ray Beam's best efforts to extinguish it. And now that she was free from her shackles, so to speak, Veronica was not only enjoying her freedom, but enjoying the rediscovery of who she was; the offspring of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.

Still, Kim felt bad for Shego. She'd been open with them the night before and she didn't want Shego feeling ostracized after being so vulnerable. Kim stood up, a half-cleaned fish clenched in her hand, and tried to think of something to say in the way of a peace offering.

Shego didn't give her the chance.

"Look," She said, walking back over to Veronica, "I… you gotta understand… I hate what you are."

"And what is that?" Veronica asked, folding her arms in front of her.

"A reminder," Shego explained, "Of what I went through with Ray Beam. I've been trying my best to put it behind me, but I realized I still have serious issues where Ray is concerned. And you went through a thousand times worse than anything I ever went through with Ray, so I start feeling like my issues are petty and I shouldn't be such a baby."

Veronica nodded, "OK, so we were both shot with the same gun. The fact that I took more bullets doesn't make your experience any less painful. I don't know what the right answer is for you. Frankly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all these emotions I haven't experienced in years. But the way you're dealing with it now-"

"I know, I know." Shego acknowledged, putting up her hand.

"No, hear me out," Veronica insisted, "You're feeling guilty about something, but you're taking it out on me. That's pretty much the wrong way to deal with it. You've got your own set of emotions to deal with. We understand that. You've just met your daughter-"

"Please," Shego interjected, "No more psychoanalysis. I've had enough for one week."

"Fair enough," Veronica acknowledged, "But I was just trying to say that mom and I understand how tough it must have been for you to feel so vulnerable in front of us. Believe me, Shego, you aren't going soft, or losing your edge. I still think you're pretty darn evil."

"Really?" Shego asked, almost hopefully."

"Sure!" Veronica soothed, "And I have no doubt that when you get back home, you and Dr. D will open up a giant can of freak on the world. But until then, I think we can all get along without your reputation taking a hit. What happens in ancient Japan, stays in ancient Japan."

Shego snorted, and Kim chuckled a little.

"Well," Shego began, "I guess I could-"

She was interrupted when Kim uttered a startled yelp. Surprised, the other two looked at her and then followed her gaze.

"Kore wa nan desu ka?", came a voice from the opposite bank of the stream.

They had been found.

* * *

Ishigawa soon found himself a virtual prisoner in his own newly-conquered castle. They didn't even let him relieve himself alone! When he entered the small human waste chamber, the stone gorilla closest to him put out a hand and stopped him from sliding the door shut.

Humiliating, having to relieve himself next to an open door with four great stone gorillas staring at him. He was now subject to the kind of embarrassment even a peasant didn't have to endure. And for this he hated Monkey Fist with every fiber of his being.

In a small way, however, he respected Monkey Fist, because he wielded his power ruthlessly and without mercy. That was the proper way to show your might. That was what his father believed. And that is what Ishigawa believed. Mercy was for the weak. The ruthless were always remembered; they were the ones who built memorials to themselves. And Ishigawa wanted his likeness to be in every corner of Japan.

In an evenly matched duel, Monkey Fist wouldn't last two minutes against Ishigawa's prowess with a sword. But in the same manner, Ishigawa's provincial army wouldn't have lasted three weeks against the combined forces of Japan. Indeed, he doubted he could have gotten past Benkei's army early in the campaign.

But when power was given to those who were outmatched, Ishigawa believed they had an obligation to use it. And Monkey Fist had, to the point that he'd betrayed Ishigawa and their agreement. In addition, he'd done so just at the moment when Ishigawa was about to commit his own violation of the agreement. That was power. That was true might. Ishigawa had to respect that. But that didn't mean he had to love the monkey demon.

He decided he would bide his time. Much as he now loathed the outlander, he saw no other options. Monkey Fist had talked about going on to conquer China, and then several other countries Ishigawa had never heard of. If so, this meant he would leave, and he had at least indicated he would put Ishigawa in charge. Best to let it play out and seize his opportunity when it presented itself.

If Ishigawa got the chance, he'd kill Monkey Fist. But he couldn't risk any harm coming to himself. Monkey Fist didn't understand the ways of the people of Japan. They would be content to allow Ishigawa to rule over them, because whether they liked him or not, they realized he had conquered his way to becoming Shogun, and then Emperor. But Monkey Fist they would not tolerate. They'd cower in fear under his rule for a few years, but ultimately they would revolt. Ishigawa would be only too happy to lead them.

So let Monkey Fist have his charade. Let him think he's conquered Japan, and then let him move on to other countries. Ishigawa would still find himself ruler, one way or the other.

Without announcing his presence, Monkey Fist strode into Ishigawa's chamber. Anyone else would have been put to death immediately for such an act.

"Has Momoye gone?" he demanded.

"One hour ago," Ishigawa answered.

"What are the numbers of your remaining forces?"

"About one hundred and ten thousand."

"Get them assembled and ready to go immediately." Monkey Fist ordered.

"Why?"

"Because we are going to march out behind Momoye, and overwhelm the enemy while he is already engaged in battle. Hidesato must not be allowed to command a potential revolt." Monkey Fist explained with contempt.

_Not as stupid as he once was,_ Ishigawa observed bitterly to himself, _Those Blades truly do have power._

"An excellent plan." Ishigawa said aloud, _I will take your life at the first opportunity._

"I do not care what you think of it. Just do as I ordered. Tonight the enemy will be vanquished, and we can concentrate on retrieving the remaining Blades." Monkey Fist paused, then added, "One more thing."

"What is it?"

"Your home province of Satsuma is on the extreme southern end of Japan. Are there any uninhabited islands near its coastline?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Yori and the yellow-haired one will be taken to one of them. They are to be exiled."

"Why not simply put them to death?"

"I have my reasons."

"There is a good-sized island about a day's journey eastward from Satsuma's eastern shore. It is large enough to sustain several varieties of animals and you cannot see the mainland from its beaches." Ishigawa offered.

"Perfect." Monkey Fist finally allowed himself a smile, "We will discuss the details of this later."

"As you wish, Fist of Monkey." Ishigawa said through clenched teeth, _guard your flank, monkey demon. You will not live long enough to regret making an enemy of me._

* * *

Montgomery Fiske's first impulse was to kill Stoppable outright, and then eliminate Yori as well, since she would have outlived her usefulness.

But the young woman had an intriguing offer for him: allow her to take Stoppable somewhere remote, and she would keep him occupied, and more importantly, pacified. At first, Fist didn't see any incentive to keep Stoppable alive, but the Magnolia Blades must have worked upon him, because he actually began to see an advantage in not killing Ron.

Dead, Ron's wife and kids would probably stop at nothing to avenge him. Kim Possible would not allow Fist to be killed, of course, but she certainly would make it her life's work to capture him and return him to the twenty-first century. But Fist no longer had any intention of returning, and being stalked by someone so resourceful and – let's face it – _heroic_, would have been a nuisance he did not need. He could have his army protect him, but Kim Possible had a way of getting through all sorts of security measures. There was the outside chance she just might get to him… if properly motivated. Ron's death would no doubt give her that motivation.

But if he were left alive…

Yori desperately wanted Stoppable for herself, that much was certain. She was the one who had come up with the idea of convincing Stoppable that he was trapped in Apollyon's simulation. Fist, with the help of his new Blades, had figured out what all that machinery was that Apollyon had him put together over those months before he came into the past. Apollyon clearly had used the immersion chair on Stoppable, keeping him from pursuing Monkey Fist into the time stream. Why Apollyon wanted to help Monkey Fist he did not know, and certainly did not care. Whatever his reasons, he had helped Monkey Fist come further toward achieving his dream of Supreme Monkey Ruler than any plan he had concocted before.

Yori informed him that Stoppable seemed to accept that he was trapped inside a virtual world, and that she was actually his wife wearing a virtual disguise. According to Yori, Kim had told her all about Ron's experience in the Roman simulation, and how Possible had assumed the guise of Yori herself to go in and bring him out. Kim had shared all this with her on their second night in Japan thinking, perhaps, that she was somehow bonding with a would-be rival. Kim Possible was weak that way. She always cared too much about others; always wanted to help.

Monkey Fist uttered a grunt of disgust at this last thought.

So they played their little ruse, and Stoppable's mind seemed to be so screwed up by his experience already, that he simply believed it. Fist speculated that Ron probably _wanted_ to believe it. It was a simple explanation for what had happened to him over the last few weeks. Simpler than reality, anyway.

Now they had to build on Ron's acceptance of his new reality. They would stage an attempted rescue, with Yori trying to help Ron escape from the virtual world. But, of course, she would be caught.

"Ah ha!" Monkey Fist would spring out of nowhere, "I knew you would try something like this again, Kim Possible!"

"Apollyon!" Yori would shriek, "No! I am not Kim!"

"Oh, but I know you are. And now that I know you are here, I have just written a program that will trap you inside this virtual world forever!" Fist would explain, laughing maniacally, "Furthermore, your appearance will always be just as it is now! You shall never truly be Kim Possible again!"

"You will never get away with this!" was Yori's line. Fist was against this because it was such a hoary old cliché, but it was Yori's show. As long as it convinced Stoppable, what did he care?

Then Fist would respond, "Of course I will! And just to prove to you that I am not to be trifled with, I will erase all your long term memory! You will only remember events that have happened in this virtual world!"

Fist expected a some kind of fight between himself and Ron to break out around this point. He and Yori decided that if Ron attacked Fist early, then Yori would explain that Apollyon had erased her long-term memory as punishment. With that little nugget in Ron's head, the idea of asking Yori to prove she was Kim would suddenly become pointless. How could he ask her about memories they shared together when she no longer had them?

From that point it would be up to Yori to playact as though she did not remember Ron, or even remember herself as Kim. This would no doubt endear him to her. Believing she was Kim, but realizing she had her memories erased, Ron would probably do the noble thing and try his best to take care of her. It would probably be awhile before he realized that with "Kim's" memories erased, there was no way to contact the outside world. Yori would do her absolute best to make sure Ron was too occupied to try and escape.

Stoppable would be trapped on that island for the rest of his life.

Clearly, they would have to go through a lot more trouble to keep Stoppable alive, than they would by simply eliminating him. But Fist believed the benefits outweighed the cost. With Stoppable dead, Kim would stop at nothing to come after him. But if she knew Ron were still alive, she and the rest of her companions would do all they could to retrieve him. That would definitely keep them occupied while Monkey Fist fought the rest of this war.

The beauty of it was that Monkey Fist wouldn't even have to tell Kim Possible that her husband was still alive. Once it was established to Ron that they would be trapped here forever, he would have two of his Monkey Dragons fly Ron and Yori to the island. But initially they would head westward, toward the Sea of Japan and China beyond. Villagers all through that part of Japan would look up and see the two dragons with the two strangers clutched in their talons. Then rumor would get around, and eventually reach the ears of Kim Possible and her companions.

"Oh yes", the villagers would say, "I saw them, they flew westward toward China."

In the meantime, the dragons would make a gradual circuitous route to the island in the southeast of Japan that would take days to fly, and they would be over water the entire time. Ron would be convinced that he'd been taken far away, far from any land, too far to try swimming or even building a raft.

And his family? Why they would probably go to China itself to track Ron. And after months, return in frustration. Or maybe they would never return at all.

What really appealed to Monkey Fist about this plan was that if he still had difficulty acquiring the remaining Ohana Blades, then he could simply give over information on Stoppable's whereabouts in exchange for them. All of this made the trouble of going through the simulation charade seem very worthwh-

A messenger came running frantically through the halls, interrupting his thoughts. Whatever the message was, it was serious. He knocked several people over on his way to Ishigawa's chambers.

"Here!" Monkey Fist barked at the messenger, "What is the meaning of your haste?"

"My lord," The young man said breathlessly with a bow, "I bring word that our main force is assembled at Itsu village. But I also bring news that our advance force has been turned back, and that Momoye is dead."

"Is Hidesato's army pursuing?"

"As we speak, my lord."

"Perfect," Monkey Fist muttered to himself, then spoke louder, "Deliver your message to Ishigawa and tell him to meet me in the courtyard. We will be riding to battle together."

"Hai, wakarimas!" the young boy bowed again and scampered off.

Monkey Fist strode off in good spirits. The plan with Stoppable looked as though it would work, only two of the Ohana Blades remained to be captured, and Hidesato's army was about to run headlong into annihilation.

* * *

"Enough!" Shego groaned, "Please, I can't take any more!"

"Me too," Veronica pleaded, "This is too much!"

"Be strong, guys," Kim encouraged, "We'll get through this."

"I don't think I'll make it through the whole thing!" Shego said despondently.

"Just a little more," Kim said, "That's all, just a little bit more."

"Well," Veronica said thoughtfully, "Maybe just a little more wouldn't kill us. Pass me some of those dumplings."

With a contented sigh, Kim reached for a small bowl filled with steaming, white doughy lumps. She handed them across the table to her daughter who gingerly took two and set them on her plate.

"You want some of this brown sauce?" Kim asked.

"Ooh, yeah!" Veronica said with a gleam in her eye, "That's delicious."

"It's all delicious!" Shego pronounced sleepily, "Man, I am stuffed! I wish I was wearing a belt so I could loosen it."

"Mo sukoshi?" The old man laid a hand on Shego's shoulder and gestured toward the table.

"Is he asking me if I want more?" Shego looked toward Kim.

Kim nodded.

Shego looked back up at the old man, smiled, puffed out her cheeks and patted her belly.

The old man chuckled and gently squeezed Shego's shoulder. He moved to the fireplace and brought back a pot of steaming liquid with four cups.

"Sake atsui," he said smiling, and then began to fill each cup.

His called himself Mukashi, and he looked as old as the hills he lived in. He was a sort of hermit farmer, living alone in a snug little lean-to that huddled against the side of a cliff. He also had a larger structure, a lean-to barn that housed several goats, and a few chickens. In addition, he had a small garden where he grew a few vegetables. When he had free time, he liked to hunt, just to add variety to his meals. He told them he had been hunting when he stumbled across them at the stream bank.

He knew who they were right away. Kim surmised that there probably weren't too many orange-haired women in Japan these days and word had gotten around, even to an old hermit like this.

Kim filled him in on the taking of Mutsu castle, how they had come to be at the stream that morning, and Hidesato's march north. Mukashi nodded often, as though he knew exactly what they were talking about. After a short while, he motioned for them all to come with him, and they began a two hour journey back to his home.

Mukashi knew all about Hidesato's supply cache at the caves. He explained to Kim that he had about a wagon-load's worth of supplies stored up and wished to get them to Hidesato the next day. She and her companions were welcome to spend the night at his home and accompany him on the journey.

They gladly accepted, eager for the chance to spend the night indoors, even if it was in a small hut. As they walked, Mukashi told Kim all about how he fought in several wars for Hidesato's father and grandfather.

When they reached the lean-to, there was something about the place that appealed to the women. It was a tiny dwelling, to be sure, but very well built. There were no neighbors. In fact, Mukashi informed them (through Kim, of course) that the nearest neighbor was actually Itsu village, about a half-day's journey to the northwest. A small column of smoke rose from the crude, wooden chimney. The whole place had a sort of lonely beauty to it; a place that made you want to live there and just exist off the Providence of the land.

Opposite the lean-to, about twenty yards away, a great tree had fallen some years before. When they drew near, they could see what appeared to be boards, and a few mortared rocks lying around it. It was a curious sight, but they forgot all about it when dinner was set before them.

Mukashi himself was a small, ancient man. Short, even by Japanese standards, with a long, white beard and a bald head. His eyes were besieged with wrinkles that multiplied whenever he smiled, which seemed to be a lot. He'd lost most of his teeth, and he had an incredible talent for cooking.

"How can you cook like this and not have a wife? Most women would love to be married to a man with your talents." Shego said to Mukashi as he poured out the steaming cups of rice wine. Kim relayed it to the old man.

Mukashi smiled and nodded, then took a minute or two to reply. Kim hesitated slightly, then translated, "His wife was killed during a typhoon about thirty years ago… they were huddled together in the house, which used to be… where, Mukashi-san?… out there. His wife was insistent they get out, because the high winds were frightening her… but Mukashi wanted to stay inside. Then the tree fell over on the house; he escaped but she did not. He buried her in the garden; originally she was the one who tended the crops. He says he should have listened to her, and often has bad dreams about what happened."

"Oh, gosh," Shego said guiltily, "Please tell him I am so sorry."

Kim relayed the question, then turned back to Shego, "He says you did not know, so you should not apologize. And also, he is curious about your question."

"What about it?" Shego asked.

Kim spoke to Mukashi, then turned to Shego with a big smile on her face, "He wants to know if you are seeking a husband."

Veronica laughed, along with Mukashi and Shego. Kim sat there grinning.

"Tell him if I didn't have to go back to my own world, I would be hopelessly devoted to him for life." Shego said warmly.

Kim relayed the answer to which Mukashi replied.

"Awwww", Kim put her hand over her heart and sounded like she'd just seen the cutest puppy in the window of a pet store, "Mukashi says he would gladly follow you back to your world, or any other world, just so he could be near you and gaze upon your beauty."

"Awww", Veronica sounded like she'd just seen a baby bunny rabbit. "That is so sweet!"

Shego's eyes became bright with tears, though they did not spill over. She was used to men ogling her, making cat calls and lewd remarks and generally talking about her the same way they would talk about a particularly exotic sports car. But never had she received a genuine compliment on her looks. She got up, moved around the end of the table, and planted a kiss on Mukashi's ancient, wrinkled head.

Mukashi smiled, said something to Kim, and then looked at Shego with his old man grin.

"Mukashi says he will pay you the same compliment later this evening," Kim said laughing, "He is curious what your reaction will be after you have had a few more cups of rice wine."

Shego put her hand over her mouth and gasped in mock surprise, then giggled and sat back down.

Veronica helped Mukashi clear off the table, and the four of them sat talking and sipping their drinks. They asked Mukashi for his life story, which he was glad to share with them, though most of the details were vague. He was born in the Mutsu province, and had apparently dome some extensive traveling, including mainland China. He and his wife had several children, and had watched them all grow up. When asked where they were, he simply replied that they were all gone and would say no more on the subject.

As the evening drew on into night, Mukashi taught them all a game called "Ichi-ni-san-yon". It was simple. Mukashi would point at one of the three women, and the first had to say "Ichi." Then he would point at another who had to say "Ni", and so forth. You had to say the correct words in the correct order the second Mukashi pointed at you. If you failed, you had to take a sip of rice wine.

The first few rounds went about as expected, with none of them getting the words and order right. But several rounds later they seemed to improve, though this did not last very long because the sips from the first few rounds began to take their effect. They laughed, giggled endlessly, and drank rice wine well into the night.

Kim, as was her occasional habit, sat back and took stock of the situation. She was playing a drinking game with her daughter (who was older than her) and her arch foe (who turned out to be a very silly person once she got some wine in her) and a very old Japanese man in a small hut in northern Japan somewhere around the year Four Hundred A.D. They were involved in a war, both to save ancient Japan from the rule of a murderous tyrant and save the universe from collapsing into nothingness. Somewhere out there her husband was with Sensei, a man who seemed to be immortal, and elsewhere, her other younger child, who was married to the daughter of her arch foe, both of whom were helping in the fight.

Life could really get weird sometimes.

Awhile later – Kim was not sure exactly how long it was – Mukashi rose and bade them all come out to the barn. Three very sleepy women got up and trudged out into the frigid night air, following the old man to the larger structure, though, for a barn, it was also small in its own right.

Once they got inside, they were surprised to discover how warm it was, though the cold didn't seem to bother them too much anyway. Kim realized Mukashi was not just simply entertaining them with a silly drinking game. The alcohol would insulate them somewhat from the chilly air. The old man led them to the furthest stall which had been cleaned and prepared with fresh straw. Three deerskin blankets were spread upon the straw while three other blankets woven from goat's hair were placed upon the deerskins. Just outside the stall, in the center of the barn, a small fire was blazing in a large metal bowl set upon three smooth, round rocks. Normally the fire kept the animals warm in the winter, but tonight it would warm three sleeping strangers from another world.

Mukashi bade them all good night, and walked to the barn door. Though they could not hear him, he whispered "Sleep well"… in English. Then he went back into his hut.

As soon as Kim snuggled into her bed, she marveled at how warm and cozy the blankets were, and how wonderfully soft the straw was. She felt she would probably be asleep in a matter of a few…

_WHAM!_

Kim was startled awake by a thunderous noise from outside. She leaped to her feet, trying to shake the sleep from her. Suddenly she realized that Veronica and Shego were gone.

_BOOM!_

Another explosive noise. Kim ran through the tiny barn and burst outside into bright sunshine. It was morning.

"Good morning!" Veronica's cheerful voice came from somewhere nearby.

Kim looked to see Veronica and Shego standing near the great fallen tree.

"What on earth is going on?" Kim asked sleepily.

"The Little Princess and I are making firewood." Shego explained, then turned back toward the tree, "Try that section."

Veronica raised her Cactus Blade and struck the tree with it. That section of the tree shattered into mostly small pieces, while one large chunk broke off and flew into the air. Shego flared up her fists and blasted the chunk into smaller fragments.

Mukashi sat on a gnarled old stool just outside his doorway, watching the entire procedure with keen interest.

Knowing there was no way she would be able to get back to sleep with all the noise, Kim simply picked up an armload of wood and began stacking it against the side of the barn near the hut. A short while later, with the entire tree lying in fragments, Shego and Veronica did the same. It took almost two hours to stack all the fragments, and since they were all in odd shapes and sizes, stacking them was not easy. Veronica took the Cactus Blade and destroyed what little was left of the house, which proved to be harder work than she thought.

"This would be easier in a Deathray", she muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead.

The old man simply observed all the proceedings without comment.

When they were finished, Mukashi served them a hearty breakfast of mostly leftovers from the night before, though there were several new items. Once again, it was all delicious, and once again, Mukashi bade them to eat their fill.

When breakfast was complete, Shego got up, retrieved a piece of wood from the newly stacked pile and brought it back inside.

"Burn this," Shego said, handing the piece to Mukashi. Kim translated without comment, "And when you've burned the last piece. Do not have any more bad dreams. What happened was not your fault."

"This is a really nice thing you did, Ronnie." Kim whispered to her daughter.

"It was her idea," Veronica said truthfully.

"No kidding?"

"No kidding."

Mukashi looked up at Shego with shining, grateful eyes. He turned and tossed the piece of wood into the fire, then turned back to face Shego, bowing low.

"Watashi wa arigataku omou." He said in an emotional voice, then continued on as Kim translated.

"He says he's grateful," Kim relayed, "And that even though you may think of yourself as a villain, within you beats the heart of a hero… eiyu?"

"Hai," Mukashi confirmed.

"Hero," Kim said with some wonder, "Someone actually called you a hero."

"Hey" Shego warned, "What happens in ancient Japan, stays in ancient Japan, remember. How do I say 'You are welcome?'"

Kim told her the words and she looked at Mukashi once more, "Yoku irasshai mashita."

Mukashi took her hand and kissed it, then informed Kim it was time to be leaving. He went and retrieved a small wagon from behind the barn, dragging it into the yard in front of his hut. He turned, faced outward and began clucking his tongue and whistling. To the women's surprise, from somewhere unseen came trotting a fat, gray little pony. Mukashi harnessed the animal to the wagon while the women began loading supplies into the cart at Mukashi's direction.

Just before they left, Mukashi opened the door to the barn and then opened all the stalls. One by one, each of the animals came wandering out. The three women supposed this was because Mukashi might be gone for a few days and they could fend for themselves. He made sure to extinguish the fires, and closed the door tight.

Just before they left, Mukashi took one long look at his hut, the barn, and the space where the tree had been. Then he stood near the garden, gazing at it and saying soft words no one else could hear. After a short time, he walked to the pony, took the reins, and began leading it northward. Kim, Veronica, and Shego walked silently beside him.

* * *

Ron was certainly confused, but he was also relieved.

_Still trapped in a simulation!_

This made more sense. He'd never actually gotten out of virtual reality; this was much easier to believe. And Kim had come to rescue him once more.

_Who is Apollyon?_

This time she had to hide her green eyes. Before, it had been an Irish Princess who had tried to lure him away from the real world and his wife. Now it seemed as though a simulated version of his wife was trying to keep him here. And to really add a hook; grown versions of his kids.

_Why did the Roman simulation seem more real than this one?_

Ron supposed Kintaro was just Apollyon - whoever _he_ was - trying to keep an eye on him. One long ruse, just to keep him separated from the real Kim. Or perhaps it was some sort of revenge plot, or some evil villain had captured him and was keeping him occupied while he was a hostage.

_How did Apollyon know about the mystical monkey power, and Sensei's ability to levitate?_

Kim had put herself on the line to find a way back in, but was caught. Now she was trapped here with him. She was always doing that; charging in and rescuing him when he really needed her the most. Ron realized she would probably rather be trapped with him in this simulated world, than living in the real one without him. He certainly would feel the same way if the situations were reversed.

_Why would the simulated Kim foolishly challenge Hidesato if her purpose was to keep him occupied in this charade?_

Ron spent the better part of a day in his tiny room in the castle. The guards never left their posts, but neither did they look inside the room to make sure he was still there. They were just down the corridor, out of sight and out of earshot. But once, when he poked his head out, they brandished their weapons and challenged him in Japanese.

_Why could I speak fluent Latin, but here I can barely speak Japanese?_

Ron had returned Yori/Kim's kiss somewhat reluctantly. He didn't feel it was the time or the place, and found it a little odd that she seemed more interested in kissing him than making plans for an escape. When he told her so, she seemed to grow sullen, but then told him she needed to go before she was discovered. Ron wanted her to stay. He felt so bad about sharing all that intimate time with the simulated Kim, and he wanted to be in the company of the real one, even if she did look like Yori.

_Why do I have memories of lying in a chair and seeing Wil Du standing near by?_

Though, upon further consideration, Ron concluded that the kiss probably wasn't so out of place. After all, the last time Kim had come into the simulation as Yori, one of the first things she had done was kiss him. She missed him. It was that simple.

_Why was I able to bluff my way so easily through the Roman simulation, while everything here seems so much harder?_

She had come to him again, late the night before, after his lights had gone out. She crept quietly through the window and crawled into his bed with him. He had asked her about plans for escape but she almost seemed to brush him off, saying it would be several days before they would be able to try something. She told him Wade was trying to come up with a way to distract Apollyon so he would be gone while they tried to make their escape. For now Ron had to be patient.

_If Yori was actually Kim the whole time, why didn't she say something earlier?_

So Ron agreed to wait. Yori/Kim was handling things, and she'd let him know when the time was right to make their move. In bed together, she had clung to him, and even offered to make love. But Ron was afraid such an activity might catch the guards' attention. Yori tried to convince him otherwise, but there was too much on his mind anyway. So she clung fiercely to him, told him many times how much she loved him, and kissed him often.

_Why so many extra simulated people? What was the point of a simulated Shego and Drakken?_

When he woke up in the morning, she was gone, and Ron had spent most of the day alone. Monkey Fist/Apollyon did not come to see him, and neither did Yori/Kim. Ron spent a good deal of his time trying to push away or explain the hundreds of questions that nagged at him; questions that cast doubt on the entire premise of a simulated world. Of course, the idea that he had time traveled to ancient Japan with his grown children and was battling Monkey Fist and a monkey army seemed much less plausible. But still, those questions plagued him.

Perhaps the extra simulated characters were to keep him off guard. Perhaps Yori/Kim didn't say anything earlier because she didn't have a good enough opportunity to do so. Perhaps he could bluff his way through the Roman simulation much more easily because this one had been improved over the last one. Perhaps the simulated Kim challenged Hidesato just to convince Ron that she was his real wife.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…

_Why does this all feel so wrong?_

Ron had no answer for that one.

* * *

"They'll be slaughtered!"

"We can't just sit here and watch, we've got to do something!"

Kim turned to Mukashi, "What can we do?"

"We must get to the signal bearers and convince Masaharu-sama to order a retreat." He replied.

"You mean Hidesato," Kim corrected.

"Yes, of course," Mukashi muttered.

They had topped a high hill and heard a rumbling, roaring sort of noise, much like a crowd at a football game but deeper, and somehow more ominous. Mukashi tied the pony to a tree and walked with the three women to the point where the hill began to slope downward. There they viewed a terrible sight.

Armies were clashing, and one was clearly in retreat, while the other pursued. To their right was the entrance to a pass, with lower hills on either side of it. Three wagons stood in the gap, while soldiers charged forth around them.

They were too far away to make out any individual faces, but Mukashi told them the army on their right was Hidesato's. On their left must have been an advance force from Ishigawa's army. Then Mukashi pointed to the south – their left – beyond a hill which they could see over the top of but Hidesato's army clearly could not.

All three women gasped as it became clear to them the large, dark mass beyond that hill was the remainder of Ishigawa's forces – more than one hundred thousand strong - and they were readying a charge. Hidesato's army was being drawn by a false retreat into a trap. One from which there would be no possibility of escape.

It was probably the largest gathering of humans any of the women had ever seen. Like a great inkblot on the terrain, the army seemed to stretch out to the horizon.

Then, to their horror, they realized the monkey army was there too. Monkey Dragons were flying low, making sure to stay out of sight of Hidesato's forces. The stone gorillas and stone chimp archers were there. Even the great stone Guardian of Satsuma was there, crouched low so it could not be seen either.

The retreating army began to run up the near side of the low hill. Once the forward waves of Hidesato's forces crested the hill, they would surely see the trap. But since the ensuing waves would not see the trap until they reached the crest of the slope, they would continue the pursuit. The forward waves would turn to retreat, but would be unable to because of the still-advancing secondary waves of attacking soldiers.

There was no question Hidesato's forces would be wiped out. Completely.

Before anyone made a move, Veronica gasped and pointed. From one of the forward waves, a shadowy arc seemed to erupt and spread outward in all southern directions. The Black Orchid Blade.

"TJ's down there!", Veronica said in a horrified tone.

"Then we've got to make it to the signal bearers." Shego growled, "Let's move!"

She was already sprinting down the hill toward the pass.

* * *

"That's right!" Drakken shouted in triumph, "Laugh with me! Mwaaa ha ha ha ha!"

He was thoroughly enjoying his moment of victory, his daughter standing next to him, laughing maniacally. He couldn't remember when he'd felt so alive.

"Daddy, look!" Kimono was pointing off toward the west.

Drakken ceased his laughter and gazed in the direction his daughter indicated. There were four figures running down the hill in the distance. He couldn't make them out, but noted the fourth figure was barely running at all, more like hobbling. Then he noticed green energy beams burst from the lead figure and shoot into the air.

"It's Shego!" Drakken cried happily, "Your mother's alive! This is the most bon-diggity day ever!"

"That must be Kim and Ronnie-Anne with her," Kimono said excitedly. "I wonder who the forth one is. Is that Ron? He seems to be injured, or… no it's an old man. What on earth?"

Drakken and Kimono jumped down from the wagon and began running toward Shego. Drakken stretched out his arms to greet her, but there was a look on her face that told them something was up.

"No time for family reunions!" Shego shouted as soon as they were within earshot, "We've got to get to Hidesato! The main body of Ishigawa's army is waiting on the other side of the hill!"

"But Hidesato is up there, he charged in with the first wave… along with TJ." Kimono said in a terrified voice.

"The old man was right," Shego panted, "We've got to get to Masaharu."

Shego had come running up to them as she shouted, and slowed her pace to a walk to relay the information. Kim and Veronica were able to catch up to her.

"Masaharu is on his horse!" Kimono turned and pointed, "Next to the signal bearers, there."

Kim didn't slow down but sprinted on, Veronica trailed after her. Kim was virtually exhausted when she reached Masaharu, and had trouble remembering her Japanese.

"We've got to turn the army back," she said between gasps for air, "Ishigawa's main army is waiting on the other side of the hill."

Masaharu dismounted and looked Kim square in the eye, "You are certain of this?"

"Upon my life," Kim said urgently.

Masaharu nodded and turned to the signal bearer, "Sound the horn and call for a full withdrawal. No exceptions."

The bearer acknowledged, picked up what looked like a ram's horn, and began unfurling a flag.

Msaharu then turned to the Zuijen archers, who had not been sent with the charges. "Divide your number in half and position yourself on the hilltops on either side. We will need your skill to cover our retreat."

The archers immediately began to move.

"Tell your blue friend we will have need of his machines again," Masaharu said back to Kim.

"Huh?…uh, OK." Kim turned and headed for the center wagon.

* * *

The forward wave of pursuing soldiers crested the hill and stopped almost dead in its tracks. TJ beheld a virtual sea of warriors, as well as monkey dragons and the heart-stopping sight of the twenty foot tall Guardian of Satsuma which was in the process of getting to its feet.

"Sono teki guntai!" he heard Hidesato shout.

Then, above the roar of battle, a high, piercing sound rang out over the valley. TJ turned toward it and saw a lone figure at the top of one of the hills next to the pass waving a large flag.

"Hikkomu!" Hidesato began to shout, "Hikkomu!"

TJ was sure it meant some form of retreat. He decided not to wait for a translation. As he was turning, a roar went up from Ishigawa's larger force, and they began charging up the hill.

Though it took only a few minutes, it seemed a frustratingly long time before the majority of Hidesato's forces were turned back. Most of the later waves that had not seen what was on the other side of the hill believed the call for retreat to be a mistake and kept charging forward. But two things convinced them the retreat was legitimate. First was the sight of Hidesato running back down the near side of the hill, calling for retreat as he went.

The second was the blood-curdling sight of the enemy pouring over the crest of the rise like a colony of ants streaming out of an anthill. The opposing army seemed to take up the entirety of the southern horizon, and they came running down the near side of the hill in a cascade of deadly earnest.

The first waves, including TJ and Hidesato, were in full retreat, but several subsequent waves were still trying to ascertain the situation when the enemy fell upon them. Hidesato's army was soon being reduced by the hundreds, and then by the thousands. Entire waves were lost. Many more were decimated. Though the retreat had been sounded in time, the damage had been done. Within minutes, Hidesato's army had been reduced by almost a third.

It was clear the enemy was not going to stop until their victory was total. Drakken, with Kim's help, ordered the barrels of his weapons raised by several degrees and began firing arrows over the heads of Hidesato's retreating army and into the ranks of the enemy where there clearly were no longer any friendly forces.

In the meantime, the enemy had advanced into the range of the Zuijen, and what commenced may have been the finest display of marksmanship in the history of warfare. Enemy soldiers in the nearest ranks began dropping as they ran, despite the fact they were in among Hidesato's retreating soldiers. One soldier found himself among a company of roughly fifteen enemy warriors, all of whom were raising their weapons to strike him down. One by one in rapid succession those enemy soldiers dropped, and none of their blades ever reached their intended target. This happened again and again as enemy soldiers were picked off deliberately by the keen eyes and skills of the Zuijen archers.

Soon, most of Hidesato's soldiers that had been overtaken by the enemy were eliminated. Battling them had caused the advancing enemy to slow its pace which allowed the retreating soldiers more time to gain ground. A gap appeared between the two opposing armies. The first of Hidesato's retreating soldiers were pouring between the wagons and back through the pass; TJ and Hidesato among them.

It became readily apparent that there wouldn't be time to order a regroup and defense of the pass. The enemy would begin arriving much sooner than there was time to organize a counter offensive. Their only hope was to retreat far enough ahead of the enemy in order to stop and regroup. But even those inexperienced in battle tactics knew they could not possibly hold their own fighting on the plains on the far side of the pass. In such wide open country, Hidesato's army would soon find itself surrounded by an ever tightening noose of enemy soldiers.

All would soon be lost completely.

* * *

"We're going to have to abandon the wagons," Drakken said to Kim, "Tell them, please."

Kim shouted to the Drakkenites who began to join the ranks of retreating soldiers. She took a quick look around to make sure everyone was withdrawing. Drakken, TJ and Kimono were already running into the pass with the retreating soldiers. Veronica was…

"Veronica!" She screamed, "What are you doing?"

Her daughter didn't seem to hear her. She was about twenty feet forward of the wagons and walking in the opposite direction of the retreat. In a few minutes, the last of Hidesato's soldiers would make their way between the wagons and into the pass beyond. Then the valley would be filled only with enemy troops.

Kim leaped from the wagon and weaved through retreating soldiers to where her daughter was, still walking toward the onrushing enemy line.

"Veronica!" She screamed again, "We have to…"

Kim trailed off; the look on Veronica's face was a familiar one, though she had never seen it on her daughter. Ronnie-Anne had a faraway look in her eye, as though her mind were filled with thoughts more important than the immediate situation demanded.

Kim had once seen that look on Ron's face, standing on a ramp in Deathray's lair.

Veronica held the Cactus Blade above her head and began to spin it, like a slowly rotating helicopter rotor. Faster and faster she spun it until it was spinning too fast for her to keep up. She released it and withdrew her hands, but still the Blade hovered above her, spinning ever faster.

Kim cast a nervous glance at the oncoming enemy and prepared herself for the inevitable.

The Cactus Blade began to rise above the valley. As it rose, it spun so fast Kim could no longer see it. Then, it seemed to grow in all directions at once, spreading outward in a swirling sort of misty apparition. And though it never achieved a solid appearance, there was – floating above the valley floor – the form of a gigantic Japanese cactus.

It had a squat shape to it; green with a bright yellow blossom at its peak.

Then, with a booming, rumbling crack a thousand times louder than thunder, it abruptly dissipated, the swirling image sweeping southward and rolling over the enemy like a mystical fog bank moving at incredible speed.

A cry went up from Ishigawa's forces.

* * *

"What witchcraft is this?" Ishigawa asked as he gazed upon the vision of the giant cactus hovering over the valley.

"It seems as though-" Monkey Fist began in reply, but cut himself off as the apparition dissipated into a green and yellow fog that rolled over his army.

"Our forces are retreating!" Ishigawa shouted, pointing at the forward lines. "What-?"

And he too was cut off as the fog rolled up and over them like a hurtling wave. Both Ishigawa and Monkey Fist screamed in pain. They felt like they were on fire, as if a million hot needles were constantly being jabbed into every part of their bodies. Imagine the most painful time when your foot or arm fell asleep, and multiply it by a hundred thousand. Suddenly they wanted nothing more than to be away from that fog. Even the horses and dragons seemed to feel it.

The army was already falling back upon them. Monkey fist rode his dragon into the sky, desperately trying to escape the blinding pain. Abstractly, he became aware that he was not suffering any kind of physical damage. He was not bleeding, nor was his skin broken anywhere. White hot pain seared through him, but he was otherwise undamaged.

Monkey Fist tried to sift his thoughts through the fiery agony that demanded his attention. Then, realization.

There were some soldiers in his army that did not feel pain.

* * *

It was a though a great invisible arm had swept through the valley and pushed back Ishiagwa's army. More than a hundred thousand men shrieked in pain. They turned and ran blindly back up and over the hill, desperately trying to get away from the embroiling fog that had brought such blinding torture. When they breathed, it was like inhaling fire itself. Many soldiers began to kill some of their comrades who impeded the retreat. They knew nothing of any impending victory. They were only aware of pain, and wanted to get away from it.

Kim watched it all with great satisfaction as her daughter stood stock still, almost in a trance, her arms stretched out above her as though reaching for the sky.

Suddenly, to Kim's horror, a line of stone gorillas charged, bursting forth from the fog, advancing rapidly upon them. They bounded along on threes and fours, covering ground much quicker than any soldier could unless he was running. The Zuijen concentrated their fire on the oncoming gorillas, but the arrows bounced harmlessly off them.

"Time to go!" Kim shouted, snatching Veronica and beginning to drag her back.

"Mother!" Veronica yelped as though snapping out of a daze, What are you-?"

And then she saw them. Veronica gasped as the great stone Guardian of Satsuma emerged from the fog behind the stone gorillas. It came onward with great, thundering strides.

"Let me go." Veronica said calmly.

Kim stopped on the other side of the wagons just long enough to disengage herself from her daughter and then resumed running. But Veronica stayed where she was. Kim halted and turned around, trying to stifle a scream. The stone gorillas were almost upon them, and the giant beyond was looming. Abstractly, Kim was aware of an odd sense of déjà vu upon sight of the great stone behemoth.

"Just go!" Veronica shouted.

There was such a ferocious, untamed look in her eyes that Kim only hesitated for a second. Then she began retreating through the pass.

Veronica turned and faced the line of gorillas, holding up her hands, once again reaching for the sky. The Fog receded from the enemy position and withdrew at lightning speed. It formed into the misty apparition of a giant cactus once more, then shrank, dissipated and once more became the solid, spinning naginata that was the Cactus Blade.

Veronica's life was saved by the fact that the line of gorillas stopped when they reached the wagons and smashed them to splinters. Had they simply rushed forward, Veronica probably would not have survived past that moment.

As it was, the gorillas busied themselves with the destruction of Drakken's wagons for a few seconds. Veronica rushed forward and slammed the Blade to the ground. A crack traveled through the earth as fast as lightning toward the nearest wagon. Those gorillas busy destroying it suddenly exploded and shattered into tiny, shrapnel-like fragments. Veronica shielded her face, but several stone fragments did pelt her in the legs and torso. She ignored the pain and moved to the next wagon. The gorillas scattered, startled by what happened, then regrouped and came at her. Veronica stood her ground, eyes wide open, and swung the Cactus Blade in a baseball fashion. The nearest gorilla was driven backward violently, and crashed into several more behind it. Instead of exploding, these merely broke apart, like ceramic dropped on a hard surface. Veronica didn't wait to see if any of them would get up, but charged at the next group. These began to fall back, seemingly unsure of how to approach the woman wielding such a powerful weapon.

The giant Stone Guardian was almost upon her.

* * *

"No!" Monkey Fist screamed, "My army! She is destroying my forces!"

Meanwhile, on the ground, Ishigawa was attempting to rally his troops. Now that the fog had receded, it was time to turn back and pursue the enemy before Hidesato had a chance to stage a counterattack. But it was like trying to turn back a stampeding herd of cattle. Many soldiers found their senses again and obeyed Ishigawa's orders to halt, but many more were in a full panic, unwilling to even consider facing such a weapon. Most of them did not stop running until they reached Mutsu Castle more than an hour later.

Back in the sky, Monkey Fist had called two dragons to him and was giving them orders.

"You are not made of stone, therefore you cannot shatter. Get to the Cactus Blade, kill the woman, and bring the weapon to me!" he screamed maniacally.

* * *

The gorillas feigned a charge then retreated a short distance. Veronica went after them. They held, then retreated again. Veronica began to realize she was being drawn out. The Guardian had reached the line of gorillas and charged through, bearing down upon her. She slammed the blade down once more. Again, a crack swift as lightning traveled through the ground, but this time it did not reach its target. Just as she was bringing the Blade down, the Guardian dropped and rolled to the side, causing the ground to shake. It had a little trouble getting back to its feet, but managed to avoid the destructive power of the Cactus Blade.

Fear finally managed to get its icy fingers into Veronica. She'd expected the stone giant to shatter like everything else, but it had dodged her attack. She turned to retreat but found that the stone gorillas were bounding ahead on all sides of her. She ran toward the pass as they closed in. She began swinging the Blade as soon as the gorillas were in reach, but her swings were hesitant, disjointed, almost random. She tried to calm down, tried to fight off panic, but she could hear the giant stone gorilla pursuing her again, and from above, two long, wailing, hooting howls.

A stone fist flashed out and caught her on the shoulder. With a grunt, Veronica went down, just barely managing to hang on to the Blade. She scrambled to her feet again, swinging the Blade as she came up. She caught two gorillas with her weapon, destroying one and hobbling the other. Then three more came at her from three different directions. She managed to destroy two of them, but the third tackled headlong into her and drove her to the ground. They went tumbling over and over. Veronica was struck in the head several times, and received many painful blows to the body as she tumbled with the stone gorilla.

Dazed, and with the wind knocked out of her, she barely managed to hang on to the Blade. Indeed, she barely managed to hang on to consciousness itself. When she and her attacker came to a rest, she weakly raised the Blade and let it fall on the gorilla. It cracked and broke apart. She tried desperately to get to her feet, but found she could barely get to her knees.

The gorillas began to fall back. At first she couldn't see why, but then realized it was to allow the stone giant and the two dragons to finish her off.

"No", she whimpered and tried to raise the Cactus Blade.

The dragons reached her first. They came swooping in low, fast as hawks in a dive. Their mouths opened and teeth bared in a snarl. Suddenly, one of them veered away, uttering a great howl. The other did not alter its course, but slammed into the ground only a few feet away from her, half-burying itself in the earth. The other tried to turn back but soon fell to the ground, as dead as the one that fell near Veronica.

The dragons, of course, were still wearing their bamboo armor. But from every crack, every gap, every space on each dragon that armor was not covering there protruded a Zuijen arrow. Both dragons looked like macabre pin cushions.

"Veronica!" A small, far away voice floated to her ears. She did not recognize it.

Then, into her field of vision came bounding a small, old man with a long, white beard and a wrinkled, bald head. He ran to her and knelt down.

"Mu… Mukashi?" Veronica mumbled in a daze.

"Do not talk," He said in English, though the accent was thick with Japanese. "I need you to deliver a message to Kintaro. Will you do this for me?"

Veronica was dimly aware that her head was nodding.

"Good," he said, "Tell him: 'She is not evil, though she may seem so. Within her beats the heart of a hero.' You will know when to deliver this message."

"To Kintaro?" Veronica asked weakly.

"Hai," He said, then stood up, "Goodbye, Raitaro."

Mukashi turned to face the oncoming Stone Gaurdian. He held out his hand.

The Cactus Blade flew to him.

Veronica uttered a startled gasp.

With a war cry that seemed far wilder and far deeper than Mukashi was capable of uttering, he charged at the Stone Guardian of Satsuma. The great gorilla did not break stride, but instead increased its pace.

Veronica saw everything as though it were happening in slow motion. As he came near the stone giant, Mukashi leaped into the air, raising the Cactus Blade over his head as far back as his arms could reach. Then he swung it forward and collided with the Stone Guardian just as the Blade came down in front of him. With a thunderous, booming roar that filled the air and was heard in every corner of Japan, the Stone Guardian of Satsuma exploded with such a violent fury that it left a crater in the valley where the giant had been standing.

When the dust and smoke cleared, Mukashi lay dead at the bottom of the crater, the Cactus Blade still gripped tightly in his fists.

* * *

Monkey Fist screamed unintelligible words at the sight of the destruction of the Stone Guardian. He withdrew the remaining stone gorillas and flew as quickly as he could back to Mutsu Castle. Gibbering and muttering, he snatched the Tempus Simia from the grasp of a startled Yori and flew off once again, heading south.

It took him most of the day to reach the mountains of Satsuma.

* * *

As the remaining gorillas retreated, a shout rose up from Hidesato's army. Kim, Shego and Kimono rushed out on to the field of battle to assist Veronica, who was crawling toward the crater to retrieve the Cactus Blade. She held out her hand and it came to her.

Hidesato ordered his forces into a defensive position across the opening of the pass, but it was unnecessary. No further attacks came that day.

However, the damage had been done. Hidesato lost more than fifteen thousand troops. His force now numbered just under twenty thousand, while Ishigawa, though driven from the battlefield, had lost perhaps ten thousand.

Hidesato was silently cursing himself for being outsmarted a second time during battle. He began to believe that Ishigawa was the superior general after all.

* * *

Veronica, bruised, bloodied, and dazed, was helped to her feet. Kim was able to quickly determine that nothing was broken, and promised to bandage Veronica's wounds when they reached camp. As they neared the opening of the pass, the shouting began to die down and then stopped all together.

The soldiers parted to let Veronica through. As they did so, they began to drop to one knee and bowed their heads forward. Many began to whisper; one word over and over.

"Raitaro!" They breathed quietly, "Raitaro."

Hidesato rode up, dismounted his horse and, without asking, picked Veronica up and placed her on it.

"Raitaro", he said, and bowed low, though he did not kneel as the others did. Then he straightened up, turned to his army and shouted, "Raitaro!"

"RAITARO!" The soldiers stood up and bellowed at the top of their lungs, "RAITARO!"

Kim took the reins of the horse and led Veronica through the pass as Hidesato's army cheered wildly, chanting "Raitaro" over and over again. Veronica blushed deeply, unaccustomed to such a hero's reception.

She leaned forward and asked her mother a question. "What are they saying?"

"Raitaro." Kim replied, smiling at her daughter, "It means 'Child of Thunder.'"

* * *

Yori tried to sort things out.

Monkey Fist was supposed to have helped her with the staged escape attempt. But instead, he'd snatched the Tempus Simia from her without a word and disappeared.

Worry snaked its way into her thoughts. Had he changed his mind?

Yori had staked everything on this. She'd betrayed everyone she knew, broken her word to Sensei to help Kim Possible (never once had she ever referred to the red-haired woman as 'Stoppable', even in her own mind), and perhaps now the universe would be destroyed.

But she clung to certain things she had learned since arriving in ancient Japan. Drakken said the destruction of the timeline could be drastically slowed for this particular 'railway car' they were riding in. If so, then just maybe there would be enough left for a lifetime spent with Ron, living on their own private island, and subsisting off the land itself. She rather disliked the modern world with all its technologies that were supposed to make your life easier but in reality only made you a slave. It was something she'd always dreamed of; a simple life with the one she loved.

Perhaps she and Ron would even have children together.

Yori flushed at this.

So what if the universe would perish? No one lived longer than a lifetime anyway, and if she could have hers with Ron, then it was worth it.

Pangs of guilt and regret bubbled within her, but she pushed them down, bottled them up and paid no attention to them. She had loved one man for more than ten years. And in that time, she'd had one week with him. Every minute of that week with Ron lived within her as a savored memory.

Now, she was on the verge, standing at the edge of…

_(an abyss)_

…her realized future with Ron Stoppable.

It was so tantalizingly yet maddeningly close that it was all she could do not to run into Ron's room and stage a 'real' escape. But Monkey Fist had arranged for an island, one cut off from the rest of the world.

Perfect.

Yori saw herself as a…

(_traitor)_

…woman at the beginning of a great adventure. And the thought that truly sent her into near spasms of ecstasy was how readily Ron seemed to accept it. Yori began to imagine that Ron knew the truth deep down, and he was simply playing along so that he could have her. Yes, that must be it. Deep down, Ron must have realized that he truly did love…

(_Kim)_

…Yori, and was helping her along in her plan for them to spend their lives together. Ron wanted her as much as she wanted him. But of course he couldn't say anything directly about it. The charade Yori had concocted was an easy out for him, a way he could love her in return. Yori marveled at the power that…

_(chronotheta radiation)_

…love had over her. She thrilled at the possibilities of her new life with Ron.

Monkey Fist would return. He had to. The battle had not gone as planned. But this would only serve to reinforce the idea in Monkey Fist's head that Ron should be sent away with her. Indeed, Monkey Fist had told her of the plan to make it appear as though they were in China. Kim would probably search the rest of her life in the futile search for Ron, while Yori got to have him. And some day, perhaps soon, she would be…

_(guilty)_

…the mother of his children. She would give him fine sons and beautiful daughters.

Again the doubt and guilt welled up, and again she pushed it away. The best way to combat the nagging remorse was to be in his arms.

She got up and made her way to the balcony below his room. In a few minutes, Yori was lying in his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Once again, she tried to convince him to make love to her, and once again he was hesitant. She could wait. For the time being she was satisfied to kiss him, and cling to him. The rest would come.

Soon.

_(don't do this)_

They would be together.

_(it's not too late to turn back)_

Together. Soon…and then always.

* * *

Monkey Fist stood staring, rapturous glee spread across his face. He could not believe what he was seeing, and yet there it was.

"We wondered when you would come for them," The dark monk said.

Monkey Fist said nothing, content to stare in malicious wonder and evil joy.

Before him stood hundreds of stone gorillas, as well as the Stone Guardian of Satsuma.

He had returned to the mountain temple that had given birth to his army. Initially, he intended to seek answers from the monks there. How could he make his army so that it would not be destroyed? Upon arrival however, he was surprised to find that what he thought had been destroyed, was actually reborn within the cave temple of Satsuma. Though only what was made of stone had been replaced. The Kappa, the Koji, and the Monkey Dragons that had been killed would stay that way. What was made of stone could be renewed.

"As long as there is stone within the mountain," The dark monk said humbly, "You will have an army."

An evil grin stretched across Monkey Fist's face. He _was_ truly invincible. And once he had the Ohana Blades, nothing would stand in his way.

Nothing.

"Will they find their way north?" He asked the monk.

"As long as you possess the monkey idol, they will find their way to you." The monk replied.

"Make your way to Mutsu province." Monkey Fist said to the great stone giant, "You will find me waiting there for you."

The giant merely nodded, and then began descending the mountain, heading north. The newly created stone gorillas followed.

* * *

Mukashi was given a hero's funeral.

Shego had retrieved the pony with Mukashi's wagon, and the next morning, Kim, Shego, Veronica and Kimono spent a couple of days taking Mukashi back out to his lonely hut to be buried next to his wife.

On the way, Veronica told them of her encounter with Mukashi on the battlefield. Kim believed Mukashi had actually spoken Japanese to her and Veronica's mind simply heard English. But Veronica was insistent. None of them could explain how he was able to wield the Cactus Blade.

They arrived in the afternoon, found implements for digging, and were able to inter Mukashi by that evening. They used fragments of the tree to fashion a crude marker. As the sun began to set, the four of them stood looking down at the fresh grave, each of them wondering just who this ancient man was who had the mystical monkey power, and the apparent ability to speak English.

And though they only knew him for one night, the three women who had been his guests shed tears over his grave. In that short time, they had come to love the old man. He had fed them, given them shelter, and saved their lives, all with a warm smile on his face, and kind words from his heart.

It was an extraordinary moment for Kimono. She had never seen her mother cry.

They spent the night in the barn, though they did not enjoy it much. They were warm enough, and had plenty of wood for the small fire in the metal bowl that kept them warm. But two nights before, they had gone to bed feeling safe, and cared for. Now the thought of that empty hut filled them with sadness.

In the morning, they untied the pony, set it free, and bade goodbye to Mukashi one final time.

Kim, Shego, and Veronica never forgot him.

On the way back to the caves, Kimono timidly asked her mother to tell her all about the escape from the castle, and the ensuing adventure. To her surprise, Shego opened up to her daughter. They spent most of the journey back talking about the experiences each other had had in the last few days since the castle was taken.

Somewhere within her, Shego's heart of stone began to soften toward her daughter.

When they returned, they discovered Drakken had once again secluded himself with his builders.

Sensei and Kintaro had arrived while the women were gone, bringing with them the story of Ron's capture. In addition to this news, Hidesato had received information from a loyalist still within the castle that Ron was being held prisoner.

But Yori was not.

* * *

Mutsu Castle.

It was four days after the battle of the Cactus Blade, and all day a cold, steady rain had fallen.

Some twenty workers were busy digging four evenly-spaced, shallow trenches that led up the slope away from the castle's main gate. When questioned, they explained they were digging gutters to collect rain water in order to refill the pond because the drainage tunnel had been destroyed. Since this made some sense, the workers were not questioned further.

As the evening began to fade into night, a warm front moved into the area, bringing with it thunder and lightning.

While in a small room high up in Mutsu Castle, a plan was being set in motion…

"Yor-… I mean, uh… Kim! I was beginning to worry." Ron said, his heart beating faster. Yori/Kim was dressed for travel on a rainy night. "We're getting out of here, aren't we?"

"Yes, my love," Yori responded, then noted the odd look on Ron's face. Perhaps Kim didn't call him that. "With the current weather, tonight would be a perfect opportunity to slip away."

"I'm ready," Ron said nervously.

Yori moved to him, and put her arms around him, kissing him fervently. Ron returned the kiss, though half-heartedly. He seemed troubled. Troubled by questions he couldn't find answers for.

A loud voice startled them both.

"So, Kim Possible!" Monkey Fist bellowed overdramatically as he strode into the room, "I knew you would try something like this. You have fallen into my trap."

"No!" Yori said plaintively, "I am not Kim! My name is-"

"I know who you are!" Monkey Fist glared at her. "And you should know I have just executed a program that will keep you trapped in this virtual world forever!"

"No!" Ron cried, "Let her go, Apollyon. Let her go and I will willingly stay in the simulation."

_He didn't even hesitate,_ the thought flew through Yori's head before she could rein it in, _He loves her so much he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for Kim._

"Why would I want to keep you willingly, when it is just as easy to keep you both here unwillingly?" Monkey Fist shouted at Ron, "And now that I have you, Kim Possible, you shall be punished! In a matter of minutes, all your long-term memory will be erased. You will not know your husband, and you will not even know yourself! You will only remember your experiences here in my virtual world!"

"No!" Ron shouted, "Let her go, Apollyon! You have us both, why must you do this?"

"It is already done," Monkey Fist said casually, "Even now her memories are disappearing. Better say goodbye while you can."

Ron turned to her, "Kim, I… I'm so sorry."

Yori offered what she thought was her best frightened smile, "I will be all right as long as I am with you. Promise me we will be together, Ron. That is all that matters."

Behind Ron, Monkey Fist raised a short club over his head. In a few seconds Ron Stoppable would be unconscious, and he would wake up in the talons of a Monkey Dragon, flying westward toward China.

"Kim, I… I prom-"

There was a noise outside.

There were many noises outside, most of them were rain, thunder, and lightning.

But there was something else, something that rose in a roaring crescendo of vocals, all saying the same thing. The shout came from all directions at once. Somewhere out in the dark and tempestuous night, some twenty thousand Japanese warriors were delivering a long, loud, clear message:

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

And then, one lone, very faint but very clear, male voice:

"Fusion!"


	23. XXII

Author's notification: After this, there are two chapters left of this story, plus the obligatory epilogue (I'm trying not to cry. This story's been with me since June first. It's almost like putting a favorite dog to sleep). And yes, we will learn more about Mukashi at the end of this story. Can you believe we're rocketing up over the two hundred thousand word count? I think this thing has become a full-fledged novel.

Author highlight: I've been skimming through Zaratan's works, but have not yet had the time to read one of his full-length stories. What I can tell you is that he's a good writer, and seems to be constructing his own extended KP universe. If you get the opportunity, check out his stuff. I still plan to in more detail when I have the time.

Thanks to all who are reading.

You guys are the BEST: Pwn Master Paladin, jiggcitychick, JPMod, Dreammergurl2007, The Incredible Werekitty, Visigoth29527, Zaratan, Muttly, Sestren NK, Kemiztri, MrDrP, LKillingsworth, Mattb3671, Kate Flynn, oneredneckgoddess, Ace Ian Combat, Invader Thing, Happy-Raven, aimtbj, GAP, Widow Shark, WesUAH, PK, Cold-Chaos, Chris Bennett, Chao-helsing, and akemi.

Where do you suppose they registered?

* * *

XXII.

* * *

And again.

"BOOOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAAAA-" The shout was either cut off or picked up – depending on what you might choose to believe – by a long, rolling thunder clap that seemed to begin down the valley and end directly over the castle. Lightning struck in several locations around the fortress, starkly illuminating the interiors of rooms, and throwing shadows into razor-sharp relief.

The shouts so perfectly blended with the rolling thunder that everyone in and around the castle who believed in such things was convinced the timing of the shout and the thunder was not a coincidence.

At the same time, those who did not believe in such things weren't entirely convinced it was.

Monkey Fist's eyes grew wide. He skittered to the nearest window and peered out. Seeing nothing, he left the room in a hurry.

Completely forgetting herself, and overcome by dreaded curiosity, Yori made to follow him. She took two steps toward the door before she realized she'd completely blown the ruse. An arm suddenly gripped hers in a vice. She was turned and slammed forcefully against the nearest wall face first.

"Where exactly are you going?" Ron seethed, his mouth barely an inch from her ear.

At Yamanuchi, he had been trained in some of the darker methods ninjas use to kill, disable, or force a captive to talk. Sensei had cautioned them never to use these methods unless it was deemed absolutely necessary. Ron was in the process of deciding which of four methods he was about to use on Yori.

None of them were for the purpose of disabling, or forcing her to talk.

"BOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAH!" The war cry was raised again.

Ron Stoppable was often a little slow on the uptake. He wasn't stupid by any means, but his mind did wander often, and so he usually figured out a plot long after everyone else had.

But sometimes he had his moments. Had he not figured out Drakken's plot involving the Diablo-bots, the world just might have fallen under the subjugation of the mad doctor. And he knew Lord Montgomery Fiske was up to no good long before anyone else did.

The second the first shout rang out, Ron noticed the looks of surprise on Yori and Monkey Fist's faces. Then they had looked at each other.

_Why would they share a look if they were supposed to be enemies?_

When Yori made to follow Fist out of the room, Ron began to believe he was being played. Maybe this wasn't a simulation. Maybe it was real almost precisely _because_ it was so much weirder than the Roman simulation. If the Apollyon character, if there even was such a person, really wanted to trap Ron in a virtual world, then realism should have been priority one.

But not magic swords. Not strange monkey beings that seemed to be living stone.

_Not TJ and Kimono. My son marrying the daughter of Dr. Drakken? Too weird to be anything _but _real life._

"Answer my question." He snarled, his whisper laced with a savagery that frightened her to the core.

"I was going to go after Monkey Fi-"

"Don't you mean Apollyon?"

"I…yes, of course… something, something seems to be happening to me. Who is Apollyon?"

"Sorry," Ron breathed cold fury into her ear, "Not buyin' it. Why did you say 'would be'?"

"What?"

"When you crawled through the window a few minutes ago, I asked if we were getting out of here. You said 'With the weather, tonight would be a perfect opportunity to escape.' _Would be._ Like you didn't expect to actually be going anywhere. Or maybe you expected Monkey Fist to walk in on us."

"I… I didn't… You must believe I am Kim. Please, Ron, we are in great danger."

Ron suddenly stepped back and whispered, "I believe you."

Yori turned around, hardly believing her ears, "You do?"

"Of course, darling, I just had to see if it really was you. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do! Then you will come away with me? We will escape together?"

"Yes, of course. I will go anywhere you wish to go."

"Good, then let's-"

"Before we do, you must prove your love for me. Bring me the Lotus Blade and the Tempus Simia."

* * *

Monkey Fist rushed downstairs and out onto the balcony below Ron's room. He peered out into the stormy night. Suddenly, a flash of lightning almost directly overhead was accompanied by an explosive thunderclap.

Monkey Fist's jaw dropped

There, on the top of the ridge, stood six figures. Though he could not make out any details, he could see the manner in which they were standing. His mind filled in the blanks.

And what a sight it was to behold.

Kim stood on the ridge, glaring angrily in the direction of the castle. Her arms were folded in front of her, her hair was pulled into a long pony tail that fell most of the way down her back. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes blazed in emerald fury.

Her children stood on either side of her.

TJ was on her right, his back partially toward her; the Black Orchid Blade gripped in his right hand, the tip of the Blade crossed in front of him, pointing slightly downward. Shadow danced and spiraled up and down the Blade itself. His left hand hung at his side, clenched in a fist, while a look of quiet intensity played upon on his face.

Ronnie-Anne stood to Kim's left. She still wore her reddish leather kilt-like skirt, but the peasant-ish blouse was torn at the midriff and tied off in a knot to one side in a gesture emulating her mother. Her left hand rested on her hip, while her right rested on the shaft of the Cactus Blade, which stood straight up, the butt end resting on the ground. She had a look of almost casual nonchalance on her face. Her hair, though it was much shorter, was also pulled back in a pony tail.

And on either end stood Shego and Kimono, both with their fists ablaze, while Kimono's eyes were filled with the same turquoise energy that danced about her hands. Kimono stood next to her husband, while Shego was next to Ronnie-Anne. Both of them had their fists clenched, their eyes narrowed, and their teeth bared.

It was mostly a show of defiance and intimidation. It was about sending a clear message to those within the castle. And it was having its intended effect.

A few yards behind them, Drakken stood with his hands clasped at his back, a look of seeming disinterest on his face as he watched Monkey Fist on his balcony.

Lightning ripped across the sky in the distance, a bolt traveled along the underside of a cloud in a horizontal flash, backlighting them for an instant.

On the balcony, Monkey Fist felt his blood freeze in almost pure terror.

The Stoppables had come for Ron.

They had also come to take Mutsu Castle.

And they had brought some help.

* * *

_Two days ago…_

Kim, Ronnie-Anne, Shego and Kimono returned to the caves at the northern end of the Idzumo Plains to find Hidesato's army in some disarray. Supplies were running low, morale was ebbing; despite Ronnie-Anne's heroics the staggering losses and Hidesato's mood served to eat away at the elation that had been brought on by the Battle of the Cactus Blade.

Not that everything was doom and gloom. Ronnie-Anne was being inundated by marriage proposals, each potential suitor trying to outdo the last in pledges of love, honor and eternal devotion… as well as cows, chickens and chunks of real estate. Every warrior who wasn't married (and then even some of those who were) was suddenly infatuated with Raitaro, the exotic beauty from another world, whose strength and courage rivaled that of the gods themselves.

Ronnie-Anne was overwhelmed. And TJ took great delight in teasing his big sister about all her new boyfriends, though she hadn't inclined her attentions to any of them.

Hidesato finally became so annoyed with all the distraction that he ordered a pavilion to be erected for Ronnie-Anne and told his warriors not to go near it. And still, over the course of the next couple of nights, Ronnie-Anne was deprived of a fair amount of sleep thanks to the hundreds of potential suitors who came to serenade outside her tent.

Meanwhile, the Drakkenites had secluded themselves with their leader, and if you had been there, you would have had some difficulty picking Drakken out from the rest of them. After his success with the war wagons, the Drakkenites became so enthralled with the blue-skinned villain that they took to wearing dark blue kimonos with black belts tied around them. Those with hair long enough wore ponytails, and many even rubbed a line of coal under their left eyes to simulate Drakken's scar. Had there been a blue skin dye available they probably would have made use of that.

They took to calling him "Ryu" after asking Kim what his name was, finding that too difficult to pronounce, and asking her if he was called anything else. Since his name sounded so much like 'dragon', she told them to simply call him the Japanese word for it.

When they returned from burying Mukashi, Kim learned that Sensei had arrived in camp and sought him out. She was devastated to learn that Ron had been captured. But when she heard Yori had been captured but was not being held as Ron was, Kim felt a twinge; a dark feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Kintaro seemed particularly distressed to learn of Yori's behavior.

To her surprise, Sensei had many questions about Mukashi, the most important being whether or not Hidesato had given him a proper funeral. Kim assured him that Hidesato had indeed given the old man an elaborate funeral and had promised to list Mukashi among the honored heroes of Mutsu if he ever set foot in his castle again.

Kintaro listened to all of this with keen interest. It was news to him that his father could show such emotion. The man he had known all his life was proud, quiet, dignified. And since they had arrived, only Sensei had gone to see Hidesato. Kintaro was a bit afraid of facing his father.

Kim filled Sensei in on every detail she could, glad to be talking to him in Japanese instead of relaying a translation through Yori. Once she had given Sensei all her information, she grilled him about his time with Ron, relishing every detail Sensei had to share. And though she was worried for her husband in his captivity, she was also immensely proud of what he had done at the village, defending Sensei, Kintaro and the farmer's family.

They spent most of the morning talking to each other, until at last Kim asked Kintaro to take her to see his father.

Despite Kintaro's belief that he would be publicly admonished for what happened to Yori, and then Ron, he was surprised to find that his father was actually pleased to see him. The lord of the Mutsu Province had spent most of the day brooding; berating and demeaning himself for being outsmarted in battle by Ishigawa not just once, but twice. Not even Masaharu could pull him out of his mood.

"Ah", Hidesato brightened slightly when Kintaro and Kim entered the chamber, "Here is the orange-haired companion of Raitaro, who is quite skilled with a blade herself. And it is good to see you, _musuko_."

Kintaro had been prepared to grovel and apologize. He had not been prepared to hear his father call him 'son' for the first time that he could remember. Always, he had called him by his formal name.

"It…" Kintaro hesitated, "It is good to see you, _chichi-sama_."

Hidesato chuckled, "I know that you are unused to calling me 'father', but 'father-sama' is a little much, I think. Please tell me of all that has happened to you since the castle was lost."

And Kintaro did just that, surprised to hear his father taking a keen interest in anything he was involved in. At the end of his tale, he offered his apologies for what had happened to Yori and Ron.

Hidesato brushed him off with a dismissive wave, "My ears are deaf to apologies that are not owed. Sensei has told me you did your best in these matters. Be glad. All you lost was two people. In the last week, I have lost a province, a castle and thousands of warriors."

Kim stood up to leave.

"There is no need to leave us," Hidesato said to her as she was rising.

"Forgive me, my lord, but I do not wish to intrude upon the private moments between a father and son." Kim responded with a bow.

"It is I who should ask forgiveness. I am informed by Sensei that he has placed his complete trust in you. Had I known this, we never would have met in combat." Hidesato said quietly.

"Had I not spoken so foolishly, combat between us would not have been an issue." Kim replied humbly, "Perhaps we may exchange forgiveness and put this behind us."

"Done." Hidesato said, clearly pleased.

"Good," Kim replied, "Then would you permit me to tell you a story?"

Hidesato looked at his son who seemed to be as clueless as he was as to what Kim was talking about. He looked back at Kim and nodded.

"There was once a great champion in our world," Kim began straight away, "He was considered among the best warriors in all of history. He spent most of his young life winning victory after victory, until one day, he was handed his first defeat. This affected him so much that he was quickly handed a second defeat. Soon, his life became difficult, and plagued with trouble. He lost his confidence, and eventually lost the respect of all who either knew him or knew of him. Many scholars studied his early victories in an attempt to find out what had happened to him, and why he began to fall to other warriors, some clearly far less skilled than he."

Kim paused, but the other two said nothing, so she went on, "After a time, it was determined that this young warrior had achieved all his victories because he engaged in a very intense offensive strategy. He would not allow his opponents an opportunity to regroup or gather their strength. When he was finally defeated, it was because his opponent had forced him into a defensive strategy, and this was something he was unaccustomed to. All he had ever known in battle were offensive tactics, and because he had never known how to defend himself, he lost many subsequent encounters."

Again Kim paused, and again there was silence.

"One of the opponents who had defeated him was a man who had once been defeated by him many years before. This other warrior learned from his earlier encounter, and changed his tactics. He did not spend time brooding over his defeat, but rather studied it in order to learn from it. He knew that if he dwelled on the nature of the defeat, it would consume him, and all would be lost."

"You are suggesting that I should learn from my defeats," Hidesato guessed, "This is advice I have heard before from others."

"And it is good advice," Kim replied, "But, my lord, I am also suggesting that it may be time to change tactics. Until now you have allowed the enemy to come to you and you have taken a defensive posture. Something I believe you are greatly unaccustomed to."

Masaharu, who had been quietly observing the proceedings leaned over to his master, "She does make a strong point, my lord. Your talents lie in offensive tactics; not defend-and-withdraw."

Hidesato's eyes grew hard, he looked from Kintaro, to Kim, to Masaharu. "It is time we took the fight to Ishigawa and the monkey demon. I want to know everything the blue man is working on and how it will work. I want him to be part of all planning stages for our next action, and I want reports on all activity in and around the castle."

"Lord Hidesato," Kim began haltingly, "I did not intend-"

"I am aware your husband is held captive at the castle," Hidesato cut her off, "That we are going to attempt to reclaim the fortress is incidental to his being there. But since he is, it will afford us the opportunity to take what Ishigawa likely considers a bargaining tool for the remaining Ohana Blades. However, you must know this; if he is taken from the castle, I cannot engage in any action to retrieve him."

"I understand, Lord Hid-"

Kim was cut off yet again, but this time by the voice of her son from outside the chamber, "Mom! Mom, are you in there? I think you better get out here."

Kim got up and moved to the entrance just in time to meet TJ who burst into the room.

"What is it?" she asked him with rising alarm.

"Someone's getting married! And you're not going to believe who it is."

* * *

Lightning flashed in about six places at once, strobe lighting the castle and the surrounding terrain. TJ stepped forward and began to wave the Black Orchid Blade in huge circling swaths in front of the group. Like a slowly expanding ink blot, shadow began to grow in front of them, cutting off the sight of them from those standing at the castle walls. He turned and nodded at the others, who parted to let Drakken step through.

Doctor Drakken strode forward a few steps and peered down the slope to the gates of the castle. They were shut fast, of course, and the bridge was pulled up. He turned and gestured behind him, motioning for others to come to where he was standing.

Just below the other side of the ridge, the Drakkenites began pushing two long, wooden vehicles up the slight slope to where Drakken was waiting. They weren't exactly wagons, however. In actuality they were simply massive tree trunks that had been sawn off at each end. The top side of each trunk had been planed down about a third of the way to leave a level surface. On the underside, holes were bored at each end and wooden axles were slid through with wheels attached. The forward end of the trunks were planed down to a blunt sort of point, so that they resembled giant pencils with one flat side each. Both were about fifteen feet long and it would have taken four men holding hands to stretch all the way around the diameter of one of them. It took about three minutes for the wheeled tree trunks to be moved into position.

Once they were brought to a rest on the near side of the slope, Shego stepped forward and blew an appreciative whistle.

"You know," she said, looking at her new husband with a twinkle in her eye, "It's amazing. Back in our world you can't seem to do anything right. But here, you're like some sort of supergenius."

"Believe the hype, Shego," Drakken responded with a grin, "Now check out my mad siege skillz!"

He nodded to his builders who began pushing the long vehicles down the slope.

Earlier that day, the Drakkenites had come to the castle in peasant clothing and dug four shallow trenches that led up the slope from the drawbridge. Their cover story was that they were building gutters to collect rain water to drain into the pond since the drainage tunnel from the baths had been destroyed. What really surprised them was that their story was accepted without question, and they were allowed to finish their work.

No one in the castle seemed to wonder why the trenches led right up to the drawbridge as opposed to draining directly into the pond itself.

At the top of the slope, the vehicles moved slowly at first, but with much pushing, they began to gradually pick up speed. The wheels soon found their way into the shallow guide trenches. Gravity did the rest.

Faster and faster the tree trunks moved down the slope toward the castle, the wheels creaking and groaning as the vehicles picked up speed. All anyone in the castle could do was watch in fascinated horror as the rolling battering rams traveled along their prescribed course, the trenches guiding them unerringly to the short ramp that led up to where the bridge normally rested.

Upon reaching the ramp, the tree trunks hurtled into the air like two stunt cars performing side-by side. As the rear wheels left the ramp, the back ends came up and the battering rams slammed nose first into the raised drawbridge, shattering it and knocking the inner gate off its hinges. Though the gates remained standing, they were thoroughly battered.

The impact was felt throughout the castle.

Their forward momentum halted, the rams fell, and settled perfectly into the space where the drawbridge normally was, the wheels on each side resting against the banks of the pond, steadying the tree trunks so the level surface remained facing upward. The drawbridge had just been replaced with a permanent bridge that would remain there for several hundred years.

But Drakken wasn't quite done with his surprises.

As the rams settled into position, two long lids on the outer sides of each trunk fell open revealing a long, thin, hollowed-out space beneath. Some sort of powdery substance began pouring out, sprinkling onto the surface of the pond.

For a few seconds nothing seemed to happen. Then the water began to churn and froth. Bubbles rose and popped, releasing some sort of gaseous mist that spread out and crawled along the surface of the roiling water.

Suddenly, Kappa began scrambling out of the pond, shrieking in mortal pain. Their normally pale green skin was mottled, and light gray. A black, oozing substance bubbled forth from their ears, eyes, and other places.

Standing at the top of the ridge, Drakken's eyes narrowed as an evil grin spread across his face.

"Payback." He growled.

Whatever substance Drakken had concocted, it worked quickly on the Kappa. None of them made it more than fifteen feet from the pond before dying. Many never even made it out of the water.

While those standing on the walls of the castle watched as the Kappa were in their death throes, no one seemed to notice the enormous shadow that seemed to drift down the slope and across the flat surface of Mutsu castle's new bridge.

Upon reaching the remains of the gates, the shadow dissipated and there stood, Kim, Shego, TJ, Kimono, Kintaro and Ronnie-Anne.

Banking on the idea that one thing castle walls could not keep out was rumor, Kintaro raised his face and shouted up to those standing on the walls.

"Behold!" He bellowed melodramatically, "Raitaro stands at the gates of Mutsu Castle! All will tremble before her wrath!"

And here he nodded at Ronnie-Anne, who raised the Cactus Blade and destroyed what remained of the castle gates.

The word "Raitaro" brought fear to those within the walls who had heard it. When the gates exploded inward and they saw the tall, wild-eyed, orange-haired woman standing there, brandishing her weapon, and their fear blossomed into abject terror. Peasant and soldier alike scattered in all directions away from the remains of the front gates.

Five thousand of Hidesato's best warriors came charging up over the ridge and down the slope toward the bridge. Shego, Kimono, and Kintaro sprinted through the gates. Ronnie-Anne turned and began running back up the hill.

And Kim… Kim had seen the balcony where Monkey Fist was standing. She raced back across the bridge just before Hidesato's warriors began pouring across it and picked her way through the dead or dying Kappa to a spot below the balcony, just where the pond ended.

"Monkey Fist!" She shouted, "Where is the Tempus Simia? Where is Ron?"

Fist looked down at her, still in utter shock at what had just happened, and began to gibber unintelligibly.

_That Chrono-whatever radiation has done its work,_ Kim thought, and then was suddenly aware that the same idea might apply to whatever Yori was doing as well.

Best to deal with that later.

Not wishing to give Monkey Fist an opportunity to slip away, Kim took out her grappler and fired it at the balcony.

* * *

_Two days ago…_

"You made me a grappler?" Kim was in complete shock, which brought a little amusement to Drakken's tired face.

"I've seen how good you are with yours. I thought you could use one." Drew explained matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry I could not make it as compact as your hair dryer. In addition, there is no recoil function I'm afraid. You'll have to do your own climbing if you decide to actually use it."

The device looked a lot like a handheld crossbow, though there was a small wheel attached with rope coiled around it. The end of the rope was tied securely to a crude metal, three-pronged hook.

"The range is limited, of course," Drakken went on, "Maybe thirty feet before the hook begins to lose momentum. I suppose it's not very effective when you think about it. There's a strap so you can sling it to your back, and a small handle on the wheel will help you re-coil the rope after you use it."

"I don't know what to say," Kim beamed, "I'm actually touched! Here I came to find out what this news was about a wedding and you're actually giving _me _a gift."

Drakken blushed, which for him meant that he turned a slight purple, "Ah, well I suppose you will have to go talk to Shego about that. I'm still trying to absorb the news myself."

"I'll do that." Kim assured him. Then, to the utter surprise of them both, Kim found herself kissing her arch foe on the cheek, "Thank you for this, it was very thoughtful."

"Ah…yes… well, think nothing of it." Drakken turned a deep purple and scurried off to continue his work with the Drakkenites.

Kim found Shego in Veronica's pavilion, and received yet another shock.

Kimono was braiding her mother's hair.

"Don't start", Shego warned as soon as Kim entered the tent.

"Start what?" Kim asked innocently.

"You know what I'm talking about." Shego said with a glare, "You came to give me a hard time about this. Well, I'm not having any of it."

"I didn't come here for that," Kim said honestly, "I only found out about it a few minutes ago. I just came to find out why. Why now?"

"You can thank your son for that," Shego said with a half smile.

"TJ? What happened?"

Shego looked as though she were trying to put it all into words, "I guess it started with our trip back from Mukashi's hut yesterday…"

Shego had been thinking a lot about mortality since they'd buried Mukashi. Here was this sweet old man who came seemingly out of nowhere to save them from their lost journey through the wilderness. He had taken them in, fed them, sheltered them; saved their lives. In return, he'd asked nothing for himself. But it went far beyond just feeding them dinner and giving them a bed for the night. Mukashi's kind words had meant a lot to her. Not just the compliment on her beauty, but the remark about the heart of a hero. He couldn't possibly have known she used to be a hero, and yet he'd seen something in her, something she probably didn't even see in herself.

It rattled her how Mukashi, whom she had never seen or heard of before, had known her so well. And after all this, he had willingly given his life to save them all. Why? What was so special about her that she was worth a compliment? What was it about some lonely old hermit that he would voluntarily embrace death to spare the rest of them?

If she could feel such love for a stranger, what could she feel for her daughter? Or the man who would apparently become her husband?

And so it was these things that Shego was pondering when her daughter timidly asked her about what had happened to them after the castle was taken.

_Within you beats the heart of a hero…_

Was it an observation Mukashi had made? Or a prophecy?

Or was it both?

A daughter. Her daughter.

_Within you…_

Haltingly, hesitantly, and with much discomfort, Shego told Kimono about all that had happened to them since Mutsu Castle was captured. The more she spoke, the easier it became to speak with the woman who was almost a mirror-image of herself. Shego noted the look of happiness on Kimono's face at just being able to talk to her mother.

Mercifully, Kim and Ronnie-Anne spoke quietly to each other in order to give them some measure of privacy, both of them knowing that if they listened in on the conversation, Shego would become self-conscious and probably shut down.

The conversation took a happy turn for Kimono when Shego asked her about her marriage to TJ. At first, Kimono was worried it was more an interrogation than a question; how could she marry the daughter of her arch foe? But to her surprise, her mother seemed genuinely interested in her life. Kimono told her mother of her hero work, their involvement with Global Justice and about their life in general.

"What about me?" Shego asked quietly, "What happens to me?"

"Oh well, you…" Kimono trailed off. "You… huh."

"What?" Shego asked.

Kimono stopped walking, "I sort of don't remember."

"What are you talking about?"

They all stopped walking at this point.

"I… I don't know. It's like, I remember you as my mom. I have flashes of us doing some things together. I remember a shopping trip to the mall, me getting my driver's license, stuff like that. But when you asked me what you were like in general…"

Kim had been listening to this last part and turned to Ronnie-Anne, "What do you remember about me?"

Her daughter nodded, "I was just thinking about that myself, and it's the same thing. I remember you driving me to my first day at school. I remember a girl's night out with the four of us in Barcelona… but when I think of you in general, I can't think of anything to put into words. It's like, I know you, but I sort of don't remember you."

"You know me because I'm your mother," Kim responded, "That kind of thing is imprinted on your brain. But since memory is selective by nature, we might be experience some of the effects of being out of place in the timeline."

"Is that what it is?" Shego asked.

Kim shrugged, "I'm not too great on the temporal mechanics, but I do know my brains. That's my best theory, anyway. Whatever it is, there's not much we can do about it except finish the mission we came here for."

The four of them began walking again.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you what you wanted to know," Kimono said quietly.

"Not your fault," Shego responded, "Kim's right. We need to get this thing done before we all completely vanish."

And it was at that point that something crept into Shego's mind, a need that she couldn't quite put her finger on. If their mission did fail, and they all just disappeared from existence. Then she didn't want to go out alone. She wanted to be part of a family.

Only one thing needed to be done to accomplish that.

When they arrived back at camp, Shego sought out TJ to ask him a few questions.

"I can't answer that one either," He responded when she'd posed her first question to him, "I remember you, and I remember specific things about you, but I don't have general memories of your life as a whole. Wow, that's really weird."

Shego said nothing in response, but TJ noted the forlorn look on her face.

"I can tell you what I do know," He offered, "I know she loves you and Drakken immensely. You know she actually made me ask Dr. D's permission to marry her?"

"Yeah?" Shego had a mystified grin on her face.

"Yeah," TJ said with a look of nostalgic horror, "Said she wouldn't marry me until I'd asked you guys. That had to be one of the most uncomfortable afternoons of my life. You and Dr. D made me sit in your lair for like two hours while you guys talked it over. I still think you'd already made up your minds and just wanted me to sweat it out."

"You're probably right," Shego acknowledged, her grin getting bigger, "But I guess she was worth it, huh?"

"Oh yeah," TJ said emphatically, "She's my whole life. I mean, I get to be married to my best friend. Can you imagine what that's like?"

"Actually, I think I can," Shego answered.

She talked with her son-in-law for a few minutes more and then went to find Drakken. Yes, it was sudden, yes it was kind of drastic, but sometimes you just had to jump in the pool without sticking your toe in the water first. If you knew how cold it was, you might not jump in at all. And she had seen how great Kimono was, and how much she meant to her husband. To be loved like that…

She only had one question for Drew.

And, in a daze, he found himself saying 'yes'…

"So did you set a date?" Kim asked when Shego had finished telling her story.

"Sunset." Shego answered.

"Tonight?" Kim asked, incredulous. She assumed they would be getting married sometime after they returned to their own time.

"Why not? I believe we'll be successful in our mission. But if not, I want us to be a family. Just in case.," And here she nodded toward her daughter, who smiled happily and continued to braid her mother's hair.

"That's quite the change in attitude from just a week ago." Kim observed.

"A lot's happened," Shego said quietly.

Just then, Ronnie-Anne burst into the pavilion.

"I got them!" She said excitedly, "One of the local farmer's wives still had the clothes from her wedding. She said we could borrow them as long as they would be allowed to attend the ceremony. Apparently Japanese weddings are only for family and very close friends."

The women oohed and ahhed as Veronica held up three dazzling white kimonos and one bright red kimono. There were no patterns or designs sewn into them, but the colors were almost too bright to look at.

"Shego wears the red one," Ronnie-Anne explained, "While three attendants wear the white ones. And you wanna hear something cool? According to tradition, the groom buys the best silk he can find and presents it to the bride several months before the wedding. Then she spends those months making the kimonos. This symbolizes the result of hard work from both of them – his hard-earned money and her efforts sewing the garments – so they begin their marriage dressed in something beautiful that was a produced as a result of their best efforts and hard work done together."

While the women admired the stunning silk robes, Shego stole a secretive glance at her daughter.

_The result of our best efforts, and the hard work we did together to produce something beautiful_, Shego silently realized, _That's why we named her Kimono._

That evening, Veronica vacated the pavilion so it could be used for the ceremony and subsequent wedding night. Hidesato issued a general order that all proposals for Veronica would cease at once. Anyone caught violating this command would be flogged. Some of them went ahead with their proposals anyway. Ronnie-Anne couldn't bear the thought of these men suffering because of her, so she quietly asked Hidesato – through Kim, of course – that they simply be held and then released after a time.

Hidesato, who was actually considering a proposal to Veronica himself, had intended to do precisely that anyway. And he never did get around to asking her to marry him.

The ceremony was a traditional Shinto affair called _San Bai San_. The bride – in this case Shego, who looked stunningly gorgeous with her hair braided in a single strand that fell to her waist, her pale green skin offsetting the bright red kimono – sat cross-legged on the ground at one end of a very small table, while Drakken - who basically just combed out his ponytail for the occasion – sat at the other. First came Veronica, carrying two cups of Sake which they drank from, then traded with each other and drank again. The officiator then arranged some flowers on the table in a very specific pattern. After this, Kim set two more cups of Sake before them which they drank from, traded, and drank from again. Once again, the officiator arranged the flowers, this time in a different pattern. Finally, Kimono knelt at the table and presented them with a single cup of Sake. Drakken drank from it first, and then Shego. This symbolized the two coming together as one. No longer would they be drinking from separate cups, but in life, all things would be shared between them. Finally, the officiator arranged the flowers one last time, pronounced them husband and wife, and bade all guests and family members to exit the pavilion so the ceremony could end with the traditional consummation of the new marriage. Each of the guests – TJ, Kimono, Veronica, Kim, Hidesato, Kintaro, and the old farmer couple – filed passed the table, bowing to the newlyweds and wishing them good fortune in their marriage. Then they all exited the pavilion.

"I want to thank you again for your service," Kim said to the officiator outside, "It was beautiful."

"It was my honor," he replied with a slight bow, then walked off into the darkness to retire for the night.

_I wish Ron was here,_ Kim thought with a wistful shake of her head, _He's never going to believe Drakken and Shego got married, or that Sensei performed the ceremony._

The wedding itself had an odd effect on Hidesato's forces. First, the rumor spread through camp that Hidesato was planning an offensive. This lifted their spirits somewhat. They no longer felt as though they were on the run, but now they would be putting Ishigawa and Monkey Fist on the defensive. Then the rumors of the wedding. Of all the things to happen in the middle of this war, when things looked so bleak, and they felt like they would be wiped out in just one or two more battles, the outlanders were actually taking steps to go on with their lives. That took some serious optimism, or maybe they were just crazy.

(_Kim would have told them they were_ _right on both counts)_

Either way, it was something positive that didn't entail a costly victory. Morale began to rise, and, despite the threat of a serious flogging, proposals to Ronnie-Anne increased.

The next morning, Shego barely had the energy to open her eyes. Veronica was right. There was one thing Doctor Drakken was really, really, REALLY good at. In her lifetime she had seen lairs explode, felt the wrath of earthquake machines, watched as the giant image of a cactus floated above her and exploded, shaking the earth and rattling the sky. She'd even had a brief but tawdry relationship with an imbalanced washing machine stuck on the spin cycle. But last night the foundations of Shego's universe were rearranged. Planets collided, supernovas exploded, whole galaxies were torn, warped, or imploded with the power of a million black holes where not even the energy of a thought could escape.

Her world was rocked… several times… thoroughly.

Shego was dimly surprised to see Drew sitting at the edge of the bed, humming an 'Oh Boyz' song, and putting on his boots.

"Where are you going?" she asked blearily.

"Good morning!" He said cheerfully, "I've got to get to work. We're hoping to finish up several projects by this afternoon."

"OK", she said closing her eyes once more, she didn't even have the energy to keep them open. "But come home right after your shift is over."

"But I was going to go have Sake with the guys!" Drakken protested.

"And what am I supposed to do?" Shego complained, "Sit around and wait for you while dinner gets cold? I don't think so."

"Oh come on, Shego, just one Sake! Do me a solid!" he begged.

"OK, just one." She relented, "But you come home right after."

"Aw, this marriage is suffocating me!" He groaned, getting up and pulling on his coat.

"You could have said no," She countered, "Why did you consent anyway?"

"I figured marriage would be a more convenient venue for our constant and petty bickering." Drakken explained with a straight face.

Shego propped herself up on her elbow, "Is this? I mean… are we in… Why can't I bring myself to say it?"

Drakken stood up, folded his hands together and put them on the side of his face, batting his eyelashes and making goo goo eyes, "Oh Drew Bug, I love you so much. Oh Shego! I love you, too. Kissy kissy kissy!"

Shego couldn't help giggling a little.

"Oh, please!" Drakken's tone was laced with disgust. He threw his hands out in a dismissive wave, "That is so not us! We're not the kissy face type. Yes, yes, I remember how you acted under the influence of the Moodulators, but that wasn't the real you."

Shego looked a little downcast. She might not have been the kissy-face type, but a little of what she went through with the Moodulators was the real her. It would nice to be told once in awhile how he felt about her… if he actually did feel that way about her.

"Let Kimberly Anne and the Buffoon do the schmaltzy bit. You and I aren't greeting card romantics." Drakken saw her look and sat at the edge of the bed again. "But if you're asking if this is love. Sure, I suppose it's love for people like us. It's like… evil love maybe. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm practically helpless without you in my life. I know that I wouldn't be as motivated to take over the world if you weren't around; I mostly do that just to impress you anyway. And I know that every time you wisecrack, every time you hurl a sarcastic remark, every time you cut into me with your biting sarcasm… it turns me on a little. If that's love, then I'm in it. I'm just not that guy who goes around saying it all the time."

If she was unsure before, she wasn't now. Shego would always remember that precise moment as when she fell in love with Doctor Drakken. Which, she supposed, was a good thing, since she was instantly addicted to his considerable talent in the conjugal sense. That and they'd already gotten married.

"Knock, knock!" Came a cheerful voice outside the tent.

"I don't suppose you could go answer the flap." Drakken eyed his new wife.

"Don't think so." Shego grinned and lifted the blankets a little to show him why.

"Oh, right." He said, a hungry grin spreading across his face. "Say, perhaps before I head off to work we could-"

"AGAIN?" Shego groaned, "Are you kidding me with that? I'm going to need at least a few days to recover. I don't think I'll even be able to get up and walk until this afternoon."

Disappointed, Drakken walked grumbling to the tent flap and pulled it back. Kimono was standing there with a platter of food.

"I brought breakfast!" She said happily, "Figured you guys would want to have it here."

"Your father's on his way to work," Shego said wearily, "But I'm starving."

"I don't suppose there's waffles," Drakken said hopefully, "I really have a craving for waffles."

"No, sorry." Kimono's tone was sympathetic.

"Ah well." Drakken shrugged, kissed his daughter on the forehead, and took a couple of rice clusters as he headed out, "See you guys when I get home!"

"You know, it's weird" Kimono came and sat on the edge of the bed, "I remember Gramma Lipski always complaining about how you guys ran off and got married without her knowing, and she wasn't able to see her Drewbie's wedding. I always figured you guys had a Vegas wedding or something."

Shego sat bolt upright, gasping in horror, "I forgot about Drew's mother! Mama Lipski is my mother-in-law!"

She collapsed on the bed again with a horrified groan. Kimono was unable to tell if her mother's crying was real, or feigned melodrama. Originally she had come to thank her mother. She'd never dreamed she would get to attend her own parent's wedding. But perhaps now was not the time. Kimono quietly set the platter on the bed and left.

She found Kim a few minutes later, who was practicing with her new grappler.

* * *

Kim was climbing as soon as the grappler caught hold of its target.

Monkey Fist stared in abject shock. It was all too much to take in. He was in the middle of a plot to get rid of Ron Stoppable and the opposing army had attacked, on a stormy night! He'd studied every contingency possible, and his Magnolia Blade-enhanced perception told him of many scenarios to be prepared for in case the enemy attacked. This was not one of them.

It was then that Fist remembered he had the Blades slung to his back. He grabbed one of them and raised it, about to cut the rope. As the Blade came downward, something small but with mass hit him in the chest and drove him backward a few paces. It looked like a crossbow attached to the rope.

Kim had anticipated his attempt to sever the rope and brought her grappling crossbow with her for just this purpose. She swung herself to one side, then ran along the side of the wall in the opposite direction, vaulted her legs upward, and somersaulted through the air, landing on the balcony in a fighting crouch.

But Fist was no longer there.

Kim was set upon by the Monkey Ninjas.

While this was taking place, TJ, Kimono and Shego fought their way into the castle interior accompanied by five thousand of Hidesato's best warriors. So far, no one had seen any of the stone gorillas, or Monkey Fist, and none of them really knew Ishigawa by sight. When the enemy was driven sufficiently back from the gates, Kintaro turned and ran back out of the castle and up the hill.

As soon as he was seen leaving the castle, wagon after wagon began rolling down the slope. They rolled in a single-file line, and each of them had a Drakkenite sitting up front, his hand operating a brake lever. The wagons were propelled down the slope by gravity, and kept on course by the trenches that now led up to the new bridge. Each wagon rolled up the ramp, across the bridge, and was turned abruptly aside once it got inside the front gates. They were packed into a large courtyard that soon began to look like an ancient parking lot. Drakken himself rode the last wagon down the slope, and though two wagons careened off the bridge, and one overturned on its way down the slope, more got through than they had expected; more than fifteen made it in all.

As the wagons were rolling, and as the battle raged on inside the castle, Veronica ran as hard as she could to where Hidesato was standing with the remainder of his troops. The army was spread out in a long line on the other side of the ridge. Ishigawa's army – as well as what remained of Monkey Fist's forces – was camped in the valley beyond. This would be the most crucial part of the battle. If Ishigawa's forces could be kept at bay long enough, then Hidesato's army would be able to capture the castle, but if they broke through, all would be lost.

There were a number of known factors working in their favor. There was also a crucial unknown.

The unknown was Ishigawa. No one was sure where he was when the attack on the castle began. As it turned out, he was camped with his troops, readying for a final assault on Hidesato's forces. Monkey Fist had assured him the Cactus Blade would no longer be used against his army once he had carried out his plan regarding the yellow-haired captive. Once such a weapon was out of the way, Ishigawa knew he would finally be able to crush Hidesato's once and for all.

But like Monkey Fist, he never expected an attack on the castle itself. Such a move would be foolhardy at best. When word came that the castle was under attack, Ishigawa attempted to ride out and muster his troops into battle. But his stone babysitters were still under orders not to allow him to do any planning unless Monkey Fist was there, and so they refused to let Ishigawa leave his tent. Enraged, Ishigawa began to shout for an attack on Hidesato's forces to be mounted, but Ishigawa's army was without its Daimyo and a suitable replacement had not yet been established. They were essentially leaderless.

Slowly, unsure of its collective purpose, Ishigawa's army began stumbling their way up the muddy, slippery slope toward the castle beyond. About halfway up the slope, the whole world seemed to light up. Though this time the lighting came from the ground, and its illumination lasted much, much longer.

In a line that stretched the entire length of the ridge, Zuijen were placed behind stands and spaced about ten feet apart. The stands themselves were shields that were twice the width of a normal man, and came up to about chest high. They were propped up by three pieces of bamboo that kept the stand from falling over. Directly in front of the stands were bowls; metal bowls, wooden bowls, even ceramic bowls. In each of these bowls was a concoction of phosphorous, magnesium, and a few other elements Drakken managed to throw together.

As soon as the Zuijen heard the enemy approaching, they touched fire to the substance in the bowls, which flared up a bright, burning white. The entire hillside was lit up. Initially, the opposing force was compelled to shield its collective eyes.

While they did this, the Zuijen stepped behind their shield/stands, and set about decimating Ishigawa's army. They could clearly see the enemy soldiers, and eliminating one with an arrow was virtually a simple task. The stands weren't designed to shield the Zuijen from incoming projectiles, their purpose was to block out the blinding glare of Drakken's homemade flares so the Zuijen could better concentrate on shooting the enemy.

And though the Zuijen were directly behind the shield/stands, picking off enemy troops in surprisingly large numbers, the rest of Hidesato's army stood a little behind the Zuijen line and randomly fired arrows into the temporarily blinded enemy.

Ishigawa's troops began to drop by the hundreds.

They fell back a ways, then surged forward again, urged on by the lesser generals who had been under Momoye's command. Twice more they advanced, then fell back, like an ocean wave of humans ebbing against a sloped shoreline.

Hidesato was no fool. There were many more enemy soldiers than there were arrows, and he had been sternly warned that the homemade flares would not last more than ten minutes or so.

Before that ten minutes was up, the enemy finally made a push that looked, felt and just seemed more determined than the others had been.

Hidesato nodded at Veronica.

Veronica stepped forward, between two of the stands, and into the light of the flares. As was planned, a shout went up from Hidesato's forces:

"RAITARO!"

Veronica raised the Cactus Blade above her head and began to spin it. She spun it faster and faster, holding the Blade aloft and glaring at the enemy.

But there was a problem, and only Veronica and Hidesato knew of it. She would not be able to call forth the special power of the Cactus Blade as she had at the pass several days earlier. As she explained to her mother, it was just something that occurred to her at the time. And as sure as she was about unleashing the full fury of the Cactus Blade that day, she was just as sure she wouldn't be able to do it again. Whatever the power was, it seemed to be a one-time occurrence.

Kim was banking on the idea that the enemy would remember their painful experience from before, and be convinced it was going to happen again. And who knew? Maybe the knowledge would come to Ronnie-Anne once more.

The enemy did remember their previous painful experience. Vividly. They began to fall back in earnest.

Then, one by one, the flares began to wink out.

"Fall back!" Hidesato bellowed, "Fall back to the fortress!"

His forces began streaming back up over the ridge toward Mutsu Castle.

More flares burned out, the light began to grow dim.

Then, from the darkness, an arrow sailed out of the night and buried itself in Veronica's chest.

As that battle raged, Kim had her hands full, desperately fighting off the Monkey Ninjas. They seemed more skilled in combat than she remembered. They were this close to overwhelming her altogether, but somehow she managed to fight them off. Three of them were tossed off the balcony in rapid succession, and this convinced the others to retreat. She made to follow them, believing they would lead her to Monkey Fist when she heard a familiar voice from the window above her.

"I think you do know where it is. And I think this whole battle going on outside right now was something you had no idea was coming." Ron sounded angry, but Kim detected a note of confusion in his voice, as if he were trying to convince himself of what he just said.

"You do not understand. This battle is Apollyon's attempt to get you away from me. Any moment now the simulated Kim will show up as though she's rescuing you, when the truth is, you will be drawn away from me, and I will lose my memories."

It all rushed to her in an instant. Everything Kim had told Yori that night when they first arrived in ancient Japan was now being used to convince Ron this was all a simulation. And the worst part was, if Kim went rushing in there, she would almost be confirming what Yori had just told Ron.

She had no choice.

There was a crude wooden ladder leading from the balcony up to the window where she had heard the voices. Kim scrambled up as quickly as she could and tumbled into the room.

"NO!" Yori screamed. She had been facing Ron, and had a hand on his cheek, as though trying to reinforce her soothing words. She spun to face Kim. "You cannot take him from me, he is my husb-!"

Yori was interrupted by Kim's foot, which came as the result of Kim applying a spinning kick to her opponent's face. Yori's head snapped back, and she was driven backwards, slamming into the wall.

Ron staggered back in disbelief, collapsing on the bed. She had come just as Yori said she would. His face said it all. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Get away from him!" Kim snarled savagely.

Yori recoiled off the wall, wiping blood from her mouth. She took up a fighting stance and slowly began making her way towards Kim. The women sized each other up. Kim knew she was up against one of Sensei's best trained students, and she did not take that knowledge lightly.

One of the first rules in ninja combat is: 'never telegraph your attacks'. Many martial artists make the fatal mistake of yelling some unintelligible war cry as they begin a combat maneuver such as a punch or a kick. To a ninja such amateurish behavior only confirms your opponent that you are attacking him in some way.

Yori's left fist flew out without her making so much as a peep. Surprised, Kim tried to block, but was only partially successful. Yori's punch was aimed at the chest, intent on knocking her opponents' wind from her. Kim blocked it, but caught the punch on the chin. Her head spun around and for an instant, Kim was worried her neck might be broken. Yori followed up without hesitating. She landed a punch to Kim's jaw as her head was coming back around. Kim was lifted from her feet and went sprawling.

A look of dark triumph spread across Yori's face.

"Do you need my help?" came Ron's voice from the bed.

"Yes, darling," Yori said with earnest, "Please help me defeat the simulated Kim and we will make our escape."

Kim looked up at Yori, a knowing smile spread across her face.

"I got it, sweetie!" Kim said casually, "You just let me know if _you_ need any help."

Yori's eyes went wide. As close as she had come to recovering her ruse, she'd blown it once again. Even on the verge of death, Kim never would have asked for Ron's help in such a 'damsel-in-distress' tone. Yori was attempting to endear Ron to her so she could make off with him. But Ron knew Kim had her pride. After all, this was the woman who had challenged the lord of Mutsu Province in this very castle.

At most, Kim probably would have said "Sure, that'd be nice right about now" in a joking-in-the-face-of-defeat kind of tone, but never the way Yori had said it.

Yori shrieked in rage and suddenly came at Kim, who'd gotten to her feet while Yori was making her last desperate plea.

Kim tensed, then suddenly relaxed.

_It doesn't control you, it just sort of influences you._

Kim suddenly darted sideways, Yori pulled up slightly in surprise. She'd been expecting a counter-attack or a direct defense.

_Come on mystical monkey power_, Kim thought almost abstractly as she took two steps up the stone wall and pushed off, _work with me here._

With the same right foot she used to push off the wall, Kim pivoted in the air and brought the foot around, slamming it into Yori's surprised face. Whatever move this was, Yori seemed to have no counter-maneuver for it. Kim landed and continued to spin, bringing her left hand around and serving Yori a stiff backhand as her head recoiled back into place from the impact of the kick. Kim continued to pivot, bringing her right fist around. Yori brought up her hands in a protective gesture, but Kim was already bending her knees, dropping slightly and driving her fist into Yori's ribs. Yori was sent sprawling, her breath exploding from her in a painful grunt.

"Booyah!" Kim couldn't help shouting as she came to a stop in a combat stance, "Monkey Kung Fu rocks!"

Yori struggled to her feet. Kim actually smiled, winked, and gave Yori the "bring it" gesture with her extended hand. You know, the one you see in kung fu movies all the time.

Yori gulped air and took up a fighting stance. She seemed to lose the will to fight, but surrender was a much less preferable option. Yori realized she had dishonored herself. And deep down, she realized with horror he had become a villain.

She came at Kim again, much slower this time. Kim feigned as though she was about to punch, then dropped and rolled backward, bringing up her feet. Before she could stop herself, Yori catapulted off of them and flew through the room, ripping through the rice paper wall and tumbling into a heap in the next chamber.

At that moment, TJ and Kimono burst in.

"Dad!" TJ cried and ran to the bed. Ron looked numbly at his son.

"We've taken the castle!" Kimono said, running to her mother-in-law, "The last of Ishigawa's forces that were here have been killed or captured."

"What about Monkey Fist?" Kim asked.

"We saw him at the top of the wall about a minute ago. He was carried off by a Monkey Dragon before we could get to him." Kimono explained dejectedly, "Mother's got everyone searching the castle for the Tempus Simia, but it's a good bet he has it with him."

"Come on, Dad, talk to me!" TJ's voice pleaded, "Mom, what's wrong with him?"

"Just a minute, Teej, first we need to make sure Yori is-"

But Yori was gone.

Kim ran out into the corridor, looking this way and that. On the off chance Yori was employing some ninja hiding skills, she looked up at the ceilings in the immediate area. Nothing. Kim came back into the adjoining chamber and noticed it, too, had a window that faced out over the balcony below.

Then Kim remembered her grappler. She raced to the window in time to see Yori just reaching the ground at the bottom of the wall. She shook the rope and the hook of the grappler dislodged and fell to the ground, eliminating the chance for Kim to pursue. Pain made her stumble and fall. She struggled to her feet, clearly in agony, and turned.

Her eyes locked with Kim's.

Then she turned again and disappeared into the stormy night. Once or twice, she was illuminated by lightning. Kim noted she was heading up over the ridge, making her way toward the enemy lines.

Kim turned her attention back to her husband and found Shego had entered the room by chance. She was searching for the Tempus Simia.

"You should probably get down there," Shego informed Kim, "Hidesato hasn't come through the gates yet, and you're the only one who speaks Japanese."

"In a minute," Kim said, turning her full attention to her husband, "Ron? It's me sweetie, won't you talk to us?"

Ron looked at her blankly, "You came just when Ki- I mean, Yori said you would. At least that was when the woman who looks like Yori said you would."

"Ron," Kim said in calm, even tones, "This is me. This is all real. You are not trapped in a simulation."

"I… I want to believe you," Ron said softly, looking into Kim's eyes with earnest.

"You should do like they do in the movies," TJ suggested, "Tell him something that only the two of you would know. Some sort of intimate knowledge you have of him that Yori wouldn't."

Kim blushed deeply, "Well, I usually don't like to talk about these things in public. But if it'll help… OK, here goes. Ron? There's no way Yori would know that sometimes when you're being a bad boy, you like a good spanking."

Utter silence. No one could believe Kim had just said what she'd just said.

"no, No, NO!" TJ screeched in complete horror, "I was talking about knowing his favorite pizza toppings, or what he likes on his ice cream sundae! Not that! Why must I hear this from my own mother? Why must I know these things about my parents? why, Why, WHY?"

TJ ran from the room in hysterics. No one was quite sure if he was really crying or just being melodramatic.

Ron looked at Kim, deeply embarrassed, "Well that's certainly something no one but me and Kim knew about. UNTIL NOW!"

"I'm sorry!" Kim blushed deeper, "He said 'intimate knowledge', I thought he meant…you know…_intimate._"

"Well it's not intimate any more!" Ron barked, then whipped his head toward Shego, "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh," Shego said with an evil grin, "I am going to get a _lot_ of mileage out of this… Ron Spankable."

TJ's voice came echoing back up the corridor, "OH, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S GOOD, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GOUGE OUT MY MIND'S EYE?"

"I better go make sure he's OK," Kimono grinned and left the room.

"MAKE THE HORRIBLE IMAGES GO AWAY!" TJ continued to rave.

Suddenly, a soldier came running into the room, he gestured frantically at Kim, "Dozo hatsubai suru! Dozo hatsubai suru!"

"I guess we'd better go. Come on, Ron, I'm not leaving you up here." Kim took his hand and led him out of the room.

They were led down to the front gates. The last of the soldiers had made it through, and the wagons were being emptied of their contents, their wheels removed, and stacked in the space where the gates normally were at Drakken's direction.

The soldier led them to a group of warriors gathered in a tight circle. They parted when they saw who was coming.

Kim gasped in horror as she saw Hidesato turn around. There was an arrow embedded in his shoulder.

"Hidesato!" Kim cried, "You are wounded! Let me-"

He put up his hands to silence her, then stepped aside.

Veronica was lying on the ground, and arrow protruding from her upper left chest.

Kim uttered a cry of dismay and collapsed to her knees beside her daughter. Ronnie-Anne, with great effort, opened her eyes and turned her head toward her mother. Blood trickled out of one corner of her mouth. She tried to smile, but couldn't.

"Ron!" Kim cried out, desperately fighting back sobs. She turned back to Ronnie-Anne and took her hand. Veronica's mouth was moving. Kim leaned in close.

"…lost the Cactus Blade… sorry." She whispered hoarsely

"No, it's OK," Kim said, the tears finally pushing their way through and spilling down her cheeks, "Forget about that. You're going to be OK. Do you hear me, you're going to be-"

"Oh, dear God, no!" Ron came stumbling into the circle. His voice was the definition of despair, "Please God, no!"

Ron collapsed on the other side of Veronica and took her other hand. His daughter weakly turned her head to tell him something. Ron leaned in close to listen.

But she was gone.

Her breath – and her soul – left her in one final, weak exhale against her father's ear.

Ron wanted desperately to believe this was all a simulation. But, ironically, it was the death of his daughter that confirmed to him that it most certainly wasn't. This kind of pain could not possibly be fabricated. Ron leaned across Veronica's body, put his hand gently on her face, rested his cheek against her forehead, and cried bitter, uncontrollable tears.

* * *

The rain didn't let up for days.

No attack came against the castle the next morning. Instead, Ishigawa, as Hidesato had predicted, decided to lay siege against Mutsu Castle. He set his forces in a wide perimeter around Mutsu and had them dig in. Monkey Fist and his depleted army were nowhere to be seen.

In addition, no one had seen or heard from Kintaro. When Kim asked Masahru about this, he told her simply that Kintaro had not gotten back into the castle and left it at that. Kim decided to believe he was out there somewhere, surviving. She had enough to mourn over without adding him to the list.

Hidesato's wound wasn't serious, but he was practically incapacitated by it. He spent most of his time in bed, trying to recuperate.

Mutsu Castle wasn't really set up to house twenty thousand soldiers, but they made do. Soldiers slept on every available space they could. As for supplies, it was Hidesato's genius that came up with idea of rolling in wagonloads after he learned what Drakken intended with the rolling battering rams. He'd ordered Drakken to refit the wagons so the wheels would roll in the guide trenches, then had the blue-skinned man come up with a way to stack the wagons against the gates so as to create a temporary barrier.

They had enough supplies – if rationed very carefully – to feed the army for two weeks.

The Stoppables didn't understand. Why did they retake the castle only to become trapped within it? If Masaharu or Hidesato had an answer for this, they didn't share it.

Ron and Kim's beloved daughter was given a hero's funeral. Everyone within Mutsu castle mourned the passing of Raitaro. Hidesato himself shed a few tears. It was he who had carried her from the battlefield, and in his heart of hearts, he had hoped she would live.

The castle doctor prepared her body and then had it taken to the crypts deep below the castle to await proper burial. And though the Stoppables wanted to go visit her, feeling that somehow, poor Ronnie-Anne would be lonely down there, the doctor strictly forbid it. He was familiar with such feelings in family members, and he also knew it was best to remember Raitaro as she was; a living hero of Japan. He knew it would only distress them further to see Veronica's corpse as it slowly began to decay.

Ron spent a tearful night relaying to Kim all that had happened between him and Yori. Though she wasn't pleased to hear they had slept in the same bed, and kissed often, she understood, and told him so. Still, Ron felt guilty and spent a few days berating himself for his stupidity. Kim finally told him to get past it and move on.

Masaharu established constant patrols of the walls of the castle, save for the wall nearest to the slope. At first he posted a watch there, but the enemy managed to rain a few arrows on that spot and kill the members of the watch. He pulled the defensive positions back from that wall and had everyone keep a sharp eye on it.

A week passed. The weather cleared up and the sun came out. Still the enemy remained encamped around the castle and still no one had heard anything from Monkey Fist or his army.

Then, on the eighth night, the Stoppables and the Drakkens were getting ready to turn in. In the interests of freeing up space, they had all decided to share one of the larger rooms. For the most part, everyone tolerated it, though Drakken snored, and TJ sometimes talked in his sleep. That night, however, TJ was on his way back from the bathroom when the others heard him give out a surprised yelp.

"Yori!"

Ron, Kim and Kimono scrambled out of the room and down the corridor in the direction of the voice. TJ was just inside the entrance of the passageway that led out on to the upper wall. Yori had apparently just finished climbing up that wall with the help of Kim's grappler.

When she saw Ron and Kim come into view, Yori smiled an evil smile and held up her hand.

The Black Orchid Blade wrenched itself from the sling on TJ's back and sailed to her grasp.

"Now _I_ have the mystical monkey power!" Yori declared in triumph.

Everyone was too stunned to move.

"Ron," Kim breathed, "Please tell me you two didn't-"

"We didn't," Ron cut her off, then looked back at Yori, his eyes filled with horrible wonder and accusation, "Yori, what have you done?"

For a fraction of a second, Yori looked guilty and miserable. But it was only for an instant. She turned, stepped to the top of the wall, and stepped off the other side.

From the darkness, a Monkey Dragon swooped silently out of the air and caught Yori in its talons.

"I HAVE THE MYSTICAL MONKEY POWER!" She screamed once more as the Dragon carried her off into the night.

They ran to the wall and stared after her. Ron quietly said what they were all thinking. His voice was filled with utter dread.

"Monkey Fist has all of the Ohana Blades!"


	24. XXIII

Author's… whatever: Those of you science-minded types are reminded that this is a work of fantasy. I aint no scientician. I've done my best to stay confined to the boundaries of the reality I've written about in this story, as well as some of the realities created by the Kim Possible TV show, even if it's not necessarily within the boundaries of actual physics and science-ness…ness. I'm just sayin'. Oh, and you know what's weird? Yesterday I popped "A Knight's Tale" into the DVD player and practically fell off the couch when Alan Tudyk's character appeared on the screen. That's precisely what I've been picturing when I think of TJ! Red hair and all! Some of you may recall Tudyk as "Wash", the pilot of "Serenity".

I haven't highlighted a story in awhile: AVAST! Check out Scoutcraft-Piratess' original take on "So The Drama" called "You Kissed A Synthodrone?" It be a grand tale says I, Yarrrrgh!

Shout out to faithful reader Porphyria-Kris who clocked in with the 500'th review for this story. Thanks, luv.

And gracias especial to all the reviewers who helped put this story past the half-a-thousand review count: Zaratan, MrDrP, Muttly, JPMod, Invader Thing, kemiztri, Pseudo Juliet, cwizard, jasminevr, qtpie235, who cares, Pwn Master Paladin, Texas Dad, The Incredible Werekitty, Widow Shark, LKillingsworth, Ace Ian Combat, Theta-Alpha-One, Sestren NK, Mattb3671, aimtbj, Scoutcraft Piratess, WesUAH, Visigoth29527, chao-hellsing, Porphyria-Kris, and a pair of Levis to reviewer number 501 Recon 228.

Warning (seriously) the early part of this chapter is a bit dark and disturbing. If you don't like that kind of thing, just skip down to the first line break and know that Yori may have lost her sanity altogether.

* * *

XXIII

* * *

She curled up in a fetal position and lay motionless on the ground. She had begun to hear voices.

Yori wasn't exactly sure when they had started. Several mornings after the battle of Mutsu Castle, she had woken up hearing them. At first, she simply assumed they were echoes of a dream she had been having.

But then she began to hear them while she was awake.

_Yori, what have you done?_

Ron's accusation the night she had stolen the Black Orchid Blade echoed through her head so many times she began to hear it in her ears.

_What have you done?_

She couldn't even answer that for herself.

In the technical sense, she supposed she could give an accounting of what she'd done. Betrayed her friends, betrayed the man she loved, betrayed herself. But her actions in the last week had consisted of activities she wanted to forget.

Yori closed her eyes tight, clenched her teeth and hummed softly to herself. Images of Monkey Fist above her… his breath on her neck… his hands everywhere… the cold, sinister look in his eyes, the monkey grin on his face…

Yori squeezed her eyes tighter, hummed louder, tried to make the images and memories go away.

She had saved herself for Ron, convinced that destiny would bring them together, despite what Sensei had told her when he sent her away from Yamanuchi that horrible day.

_Stoppable-san's destiny lies with Kim Possible. I have seen this with my own eyes._

At the time, she didn't know what he meant. She had asked him if he possessed the gift of prophecy and he simply answered 'no'. Now she understood. Sensei had seen it here in ancient Japan; seen the fact that not only were they married, but they had children together.

It wasn't fair.

Yori had seen the value and desirability in Ron Stoppable long before Kim had. Kim was still treating him as just a sidekick when Yori began to fall in love with him.

'_I saw him first'? Is that really the argument you want to go with?_

It wasn't enough that Yori heard voices. They were arguing with her, contradicting her, even accusing her.

"I was devoted to him before she was." Yori said aloud.

_Certain of that are you?_

"I respected him. She did not."

_What makes you think 'sidekick' equals 'lack of respect'?_

"I loved him."

'_Loved', past tense._

"I still love him."

_Really? I wonder if you understand just what love is?_

"I do."

_And yet, you tried to take him for yourself, instead of waiting to find out how he felt about you. That's not love, Love is patient. You were cruel to him and his family. That's not love, Love is kind. You were jealous of him and his wife. That's not love, Love does not envy._

"But I am what's best for him."

_Love is not proud, nor does it boast._

"And what about me? What about my wants? Do they not count?"

_Love is not self-seeking._

"I am the one who has suffered in this!"

_Love keeps no record of wrongs._

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Yori shouted, then screamed wordlessly as loud as she could to drown out the Voice. After a time her own voice became hoarse and she ceased her cries.

Silence for a short while.

_Love is not easily angered._

Tears poured forth. Yori wanted to scream again but had no capacity for it. She wept bitter tears at what she had done; at what she had become. Her head lolled forward. No longer did she have the strength to combat the Voice.

_You saved yourself for Ron; an act of love. And then you turned and gave yourself to that which he has been fighting against his whole life. You've become a demon's concubine._

"Monkey Fist is not a demon," Yori sobbed weakly, "He is a genetic mutation."

_Do you really think demons are just pitchforks and horns? It's not about what they look like, it's about who they are._

"All I wanted was-"

_Something you were never meant to have._

Yori sobbed quietly for a few moments. Apparently the Voice was content to let her weep for a time.

_Why did you do it?_

"Huh?"

_Don't play stupid with me! Why did you give yourself to Monkey Fist? And if you say 'I don't know' I will begin screaming. I will scream day and night until you take your own life just to shut me up. Why did you sleep with Monkey Fist?_

"I…" Yori thought for some time, then resigned herself to the truth, "I wanted the mystical monkey power. I wanted to be like them."

_That's pretty close._

"I wanted to be one of them."

_You wanted to become like them, and then punish them with their own powers._

"Yes."

_You tried to steal Ron from Kim by telling him an enormous lie._

"Yes."

_And when you were thwarted…_

Yori was stung. This was the word used when villain's schemes were foiled.

…_when you were thwarted you went a little crazy. You wanted to punish them. To hurt them._

"Yes."

_You wanted revenge._

"Yes." The tears poured forth with renewed earnest.

_You wanted it so much you were willing to do, what?_

"Anything."

_Good answer. You were willing to do anything. ANYTHING! So you told Monkey Fist that you had a pretty good idea where the sword would be; who was carrying it, and the general area of the castle he'd be in ._

"Yes."

_Then you told Monkey Fist that to get the Blade, you'd need the mystical monkey power. And he was surprised to learn it could be passed along to others. So you removed your clothes, lay on his bed, and gave him what no one else has had. Not very special for a first time, was it? The rotting smell of his fur, the stink of his breath, the soulless grin, his empty black eyes. _

Yori whimpered helplessly.

_But the best part was about halfway through. You suddenly realized just exactly what it was you were doing._

"Please stop." Yori whispered.

_No, that's not what you said. You said 'get off', and he giggled and said 'that's what I'm trying to do!'_

To her horror, Yori found herself giggling, though the tears still came.

_Then you began to struggle, so he had his stone gorillas come in and hold you down while he finished. You couldn't stop screaming. That wasn't much fun, was it?_

Yori buried her hands in her face.

_No, indeed. Not a precious moment at all. HA! Did you hear that? I used the word 'precious'! That's very funny when you think about it._

Yori began to laugh.

_Because here you are, having a conversation with yourself. Wondering whether or not you should give in to evil, or if there might be any hope for good in you left. You've betrayed all those who ever treated you with any kindness, all because of your obsession over a ring._

Yori began to laugh hysterically.

_A ring you wanted, but Kim was freely given. A ring you thought would give you power. You stopped loving him a long time ago. Your love withered into an obsession, and all you wanted was to take possession of your 'Precious'. You hate yourself, hate what you've done… and after what you went through to obtain the mystical monkey power, you went ahead and gave Monkey Fist what he wanted! You got the Orchid Blade for him, without really knowing why you were doing it! Now look at you, having an argument with yourself. 'My Precious!' That's what you've become! Isn't that funny? Isn't it just HYSTERICAL?_

Screams of insanity crept into Yori's laughter. Tears poured from her eyes as she shrieked uncontrollable madness. And though it was her laughter that poured forth, she didn't hear it. She heard the laughter of Monkey Fist as he completed the act of giving her the mystical monkey power.

Then she heard the laughter of another. His was warm and enthusiastic; the laughter of youth. Youth that is in love…

* * *

"And his clothes came flying off?" Kintaro could barely get the question out, he was laughing so hard.

"Yes!" Yori said, sharing in his laughter, "He stood on the bridge at Yamanuchi, called the Lotus Blade back to him, closed his eyes, and held out his hand. The Blade sailed through the air, and tore his clothes from him. He was left standing only in his underclothes."

Kintaro threw his head back and brayed into the night sky. He had never heard anything so hilarious. Yori could not help but laugh with him. His laugh was goofy, but infectious. She looked at him again, this time wistfully. She imagined she could love this one, if only he didn't belong in this world, and Ron Stoppable did not occupy such a place in her heart.

It was the night before Ishigawa had taken Mutsu Castle, the night before the Lotus Blade was captured by Monkey Fist. Yori and Kintaro had been sent out to flank Ishigawa's forces and work their way in behind Monkey Fist in order to steal and destroy the Tempus Simia. Kintaro and Yori had never seen the idol itself. They had to rely on Kim's description of it as she was the only one who had actually seen it.

Kintaro had led Yori a little to the west, then north a ways. They didn't have a great deal of daylight left when they set out, and soon it grew too dark to continue onward.

"I thought to reach Itsu village", Kintaro told her in a slightly worried voice, "Then perhaps set out from there just before dawn. But I do not see the village anywhere."

"That is because you are still some miles away from it," Said a thin voice in the darkness.

"Who is there?" Yori demanded, getting into a fighting stance. She had her fan blades at the ready.

"Not an enemy, if that is your concern," The voice answered enigmatically. "Away put your weapons. I mean you no harm."

They heard what sounded like rocks striking each other, and soon Kintaro realized it was flint striking stone. A fire blazed up before them. An old man, older than Yori had ever seen, stood near the flames. He was ancient, with a bald, wrinkled head and a white beard that flowed almost to his waist.

He had a spit mounted above the fire with a rabbit skewered upon it.

"Mukashi-san!" Kintaro said in surprise, then straightened up and walked over to the fire.

"Greetings, Kintaro-chan," Mukashi said without looking at him, The old man's gaze went past him to rest upon Yori. After a few seconds of silence, he gestured to her, "Come. Evening meal will soon be ready."

"Mukashi-san has fought for my father and my grandfather. He is a great friend of Mutsu Province," Kintaro turned and spoke to Yori.

"And a friend of yours, young one. At least I hope." Mukashi said with an almost toothless smile. "Or do you not remember when I brought you your first wooden practice katana when you were a boy?"

"Of course," Kintaro said with a low bow, "It is my great honor that you would call me 'friend'."

"It would be _my_ great honor if your companion would grace my campfire with her beauty," Mukashi gestured toward Yori.

Yori hesitated, then walked to the fire, bowing respectfully to the old man.

"I am Yori," She said simply.

"Of course you are," Mukashi murmured, gazing at her with what appeared to be longing, "Of course you are. Please make yourselves comfortable. I have more food in the wagon."

Mukashi took a long look at Yori, then disappeared into the darkness. They heard him puttering about in what must have been his wagon. Then they heard a donkey braying. Mukashi muttered something to the animal and it quieted down. At least, what Kintaro heard was muttering.

Yori wasn't sure, but she thought she heard the old man say "Calm yourself, Ronaldus." in English. But then dismissed the notion as her mind playing tricks.

Mukashi appeared in the firelight again with bowls of food and blankets, noting aloud that they had not come on this journey too well prepared.

Mukashi bade them eat while he busied himself turning the rabbit and sprinkling it with what Kintaro guessed were spices and seasonings.

As soon as they were done, Mukashi snatched up their bowls and portioned out some soup that was steaming in a metal pot at the edge of the fire. The soup took any remnants of chill they might have had, and warmed them to their very toes. Soon the rabbit was ready and Mukashi divided it into three parts, finally allowing himself to partake in the meal.

They ate in silence. Yori was keenly aware of Mukashi's gaze upon her. Often he looked as though he were about to say something, and then stopped himself.

At last he did speak up, addressing Yori, "I am sorry if my gaze makes you uncomfortable."

"I am unaccustomed to such attention," Yori offered by way of explanation.

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Mukashi said with a smile, "You remind me of my wife, which is why I gaze at you so often. You are the only woman I have ever beheld whose beauty equaled hers."

Yori blushed and cast her eyes downward.

"Ah!" Mukashi exclaimed, "Perhaps that is the kind of attention you are unaccustomed to, yes? You attract the gaze of many a man but never stopped long enough to hear them praise your beauty I think."

"There are none who would praise such a thing as my so-called 'beauty'." Yori said quietly, thinking of one in particular.

"Ah…well," Kintaro stammered, "I must disagree. You see, I would… that is to say."

"Spit it out!" Mukashi barked.

"What I mean is…" Kintaro turned very red and stared very hard at the fire, "I would follow you back to your own world, or any other for that matter, just to be near you and gaze upon your beauty."

Yori allowed herself a shy half-smile but kept her eyes downward.

"Well said!" Mukashi beamed with a twinkle in his old eyes, "I very much doubt I could have put it better myself."

There was silence for a time as they ate. The fire crackled, while the night animals made their customary noises; crickets, birds, wolves in the distance.

"Will likely rain tomorrow," Mukashi said, gazing up into the night sky, then abruptly he got up, "Well, I must be going. No meal is so crowded as when there are three sharing it, eh?"

"You are leaving?" Kintaro got up as well, "Tonight? How will you find your way home?"

"Oh, I won't make it to my home tonight. I will stay the night in Itsu village. I at least remember where it is." The old man gently teased the young warrior, "And I will be needed at my home two nights hence. But I thought at least you could do with a good meal and a warm fire."

"You have our gratitude for that," Yori said, finally looking up at the old man.

Mukashi returned her gaze, and did not look away until she lowered her eyes once more.

"I must be going," The old man finally said. His voice trembled with emotion.

Kintaro helped him gather up his things and carried them to the wagon. Mukashi said a few words to Kintaro which Yori could not hear. Then she heard the donkey bray once, and the wagon rolled off into the night.

Kintaro stepped back into the firelight and at down, gazing at Yori.

"Mukashi-san told me to ask you about the first time the yellow-haired warrior came to Yamanuchi," He said, "Something about the Lotus Blade tearing his clothes off?"

Yori opened her mouth to ask him how Mukashi knew about that when they heard his voice cry from out of the darkness. He was quite some distance away already, and Kintaro could not quite make out what he had said. He asked Yori, who merely shrugged her shoulders.

But Yori thought she had heard something.

Something Mukashi had cried out in English.

"You have the heart of a hero! Listen to it!"

* * *

Two of Ishigawa's soldiers stood staring down at Yori. She continued to giggle at odd intervals while tears streamed down her cheeks. If she was aware of their presence, she gave no indication of it.

The first soldier shook his head, "It is not worth it."

"Why not?" the other one demanded.

"Because she may do something erratic. Something that might hurt us. There are rumors going around that she is a trained ninja."

"But if she gave herself to the monkey demon, she might bestow some of her favors on us" The second soldier whispered insistently.

"No," The first replied firmly, "It could be the monkey demon sees her as his. And if she reported to him that we took advantage of her-"

Suddenly Yori began to cackle loudly, maniacally.

"You would not live long past the removal of the first article of clothing!" she practically screamed, then resumed giggling while the tears poured.

"Do you see?" The first soldier whispered savagely, "Not worth it! The monkey demon has impregnated her with madness! I will have none of it."

The second merely nodded. They both turned, looked about them warily, then began walking away together.

"Ron…" Yori groaned behind them, then ceased her giggling and melted into desperate sobs, "Kintaro…"

"So have you heard?" The first soldier asked his companion when they had walked some distance from Yori, "The monkey demon has all of the Ohana Blades, but does not know the secret to calling forth the Wraith."

"I have heard," The second soldier confirmed, "He has been trying for the last two days to discover the answer. So far no success. As I understand it, there is only one person who knows the secret."

"The master of Yamanuchi," The first soldier said, nodding, "But Ishigawa misplaced him when we first took the castle. Now it is not known where he is."

"Ah, but in point of fact, he is at the castle even now," his companion countered, "And I have heard rumors that he is to be… shall we say… 'retrieved'."

"How is this to be accomplished?"

* * *

Kimono saw them first.

It was night. They were all in Hidesato's private courtyard which he had consented to their use as the castle was so crowded, and their grief for Raitaro would not be seen as a public spectacle.

It had been twelve days since they took the castle, four days since Yori had made off with the last remaining Ohana Blade. No attack had come from Ishigawa's forces. They remained in a massive perimeter around the castle, occasionally shooting arrows over the walls just to harass the castle's occupants.

Both supplies and morale were running low.

The Stoppables (and the Drakkens to a lesser extent) were particularly demoralized. To some degree, Veronica's increasingly adventurous attitude had rubbed off on all of them. Ron, Kim, TJ and Kimono had been conducting themselves as though this was some great adventure; perhaps one of their greatest missions, where they always emerged triumphant and relatively unscathed. But reality hade come to exact its price on them, and they had paid very dearly with the life of one of their own. They didn't talk much to each other. They didn't talk much at all. At one point, TJ even mused that he wished he, his wife and sister had never been brought on this particular mission.

On the evening of the twelfth day, Shego finally had enough.

"All right," she barked as they were all about to bed down for the night, "I'm getting a little tired of all the doom and gloom around here. It's time you guys spiffed up your sorry attitudes."

"I'm not sure if you noticed, Shego, but my daughter was killed last week." Kim said coldly, narrowing her eyes at her arch foe.

"I understand that," Shego's voice softened somewhat, "And you and the rest of this castle mourned for a few days. But while the rest of the castle seems to be busy making plans, you guys have done nothing but mope around for a week. Monkey Fist has the Tempus Simia and the Ohana Blades. If we don't do something about that, then we're all finished."

Nobody said anything.

Shego moved over to the mats where Kim and Ron were sitting and crouched down, "Thousands of families have lost loved ones in this war, and they don't even really know exactly why Monkey Fist needs to be stopped. They've been told that if Monkey Fist and Ishigawa triumph, then we're all doomed. To them, that's enough. I know these aren't exactly volunteer armies that are fighting in this conflict. But in a way they are. Kim, you told me that Kintaro informed you that many soldiers from armies Ishigawa and Monkey Fist had already conquered made their way up here to join Hidesato's forces."

"Yes," Kim acknowledged.

"Why?" Shego asked quietly. "Undoubtedly many of them have died. Did they have to come up to this province and lay down their lives? I'm guessing that in their minds they had no other choice, because they certainly weren't going to live under the rule of Ishigawa or Monkey Fist. I'm sure it's the same with you guys. You foiled Drew's schemes many time. Many, many, many times."

"Hey!" Drakken protested. "Your words hurt."

"Oh, come on," Shego said grinning at her husband, "You're turned on by what I just said."

"Yes," Drakken admitted, "But only a lot."

"Anyway," Shego rolled her eyes and turned back to Kim and Ron, "You guys do the hero thing because you have this sense of obligation."

"I guess," Kim agreed, "I mean, it's what we do."

"Right," Shego continued, "Despite the fact that you're a Nobel prize winning neurosurgeon who developed artificial brain technology. I mean, those are laurels you could rest on for the remainder of your life. And yet, here you are, fighting it out with Monkey Fist in a desperate attempt to save all of humanity."

"She's got a point," Ron agreed glumly.

"Now imagine the kind of death Veronica would have had if you hadn't been there." Shego said simply, then was quiet for a few minutes to let it sink in.

"Certainly not a hero's death," TJ observed.

Shego nodded at her son-in-law, "She saved us all. Look, we should have been defeated long before now. Veronica bought us some time at the pass, then she bought us this castle with her life. Are we seriously going to mope and do nothing?"

"Quite right, Shego," Drakken said enthusiastically.

"Glad you feel that way," Shego pointed at Drakken, "It's time you got your butt in gear. Go finish that machine you've been working on with your Drakkenites. Go now."

Drakken got up to exit. Shego grabbed his arm on his way out.

"Build something good," she whispered seductively, "And I'll reward you with something good."

"Is it the kind of reward you enjoy as well?" Drakken asked with a sly smile.

"Only a lot," she answered, then smacked him on the butt as he left the room. In a louder voice, she addressed the rest of them, "You guys need to come up with a plan. Even if it's not a very good one, we have to at least try something."

Slowly, the others nodded,

Shego rolled her eyes and groaned as Ron decided he would go after the Lotus Blade and the Tempus Simia; alone, of course. Kim, TJ and Kimono didn't try to talk him out of it, they simply refused to let him go. Either they would all go, or they would tie Ron to a chair.

After some heated discussion on this particular matter, Ron finally consented that they would all go. They decided to go and inform Hidesato.

"No." Hidesato said firmly to Kim after she explained their plan, "No one leaves the castle. We wait."

Sensei sat next to Masaharu but said nothing. He and Masaharu shared a room next to Hidesato's.

"But my lord-" Kim began.

"No." Hidesato said once more, looking about his private courtyard at all of them, "Please do not compel me to restrain you. We will wait."

"As you wish." Kim bowed and then quietly explained it to the others.

"We're going to have to sneak out of here on our own," Ron said quietly to all of them, "But not tonight. He'll no doubt have someone watching us the next few nights. This will give us time to better develop a plan."

They all nodded. For the first time in more than a week, they felt their sprits rise. They all missed Ronnie-Anne terribly, but they had a purpose once more, a plan which they could concentrate on.

As a conciliatory gesture, Hidesato invited them all to stay and enjoy his courtyard. And indeed it was a very pleasant place. The center was open and covered with white gravel; this was where the duel between Kim and Hidesato was fought what seemed like a hundred years ago now. But surrounding the open gravel-covered ground were immaculately kept gardens.

There were hundreds of varieties of plants and flowers. A small, elongated pond had fish in it, and two small arch bridges spanning it. Various tiny pathways ended in arbors where benches rested under cherry trees or were surrounded by tall plants. Lanterns were placed strategically to cast a warm light on various parts of the courtyard, while others were left intentionally dark so that one could sit and gaze at the beauty that surrounded them.

And so it was that after Hidesato had forbidden them to leave the castle, they broke into small groups and talked amongst themselves.

Kim, TJ and Ron were talking to Sensei under a torch near the main outer wall.

Shego and Kimono were sitting on a small bench and talking quietly to each other. The death of Veronica had confirmed all of Shego's feelings on why she decided to marry Drew almost on the spur of the moment. If they were all going to vanish from existence, then they would go out as a family.

In the meantime, Shego was becoming very close friends with her daughter, and was even beginning to accept the reality that TJ was her son-in-law. She felt as though she was a completely different person from the one who had crashed into the lake with Drew in his hovercar; the Shego who was determined to erase Kimono's existence and believed for a time she was actually a clone. She almost felt real guilt when she thought about her idea of erasing Kimono's existence. Now here they were, talking almost as though they had been lifelong girlfriends.

They were sitting very close to each other, talking quietly when Kimono caught the slightest movement out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't TJ or Ron, or the torch whose flame cast dancing shadows on the wall. It was something her brain did not know, but was instinctively aware that it should not be there.

Kimono stood abruptly and peered across the courtyard at her husband and in-laws.

Whatever it was moved again.

"TJ!" Kimono suddenly shouted, "Right fist back, ten o'clock!"

Without hesitation, TJ swept his clenched right fist back at an upward angle, turning his head to follow the arc of his swing as he did so. To his astonishment, his fist slammed into the torso of a hooded ninja who had slowly been making his way down the main wall, staying in the shadows just beyond the light cast by the torch. The ninja was knocked from his perch and sent tumbling.

As Kimono began sprinting toward them, fifteen more ninjas - human ninjas, some of whom trained under Sensei – dropped to the courtyard from the wall and darted toward master of Yamanuchi.

Kim and Ron assumed combat stances, putting themselves between the incoming ninjas and Sensei. TJ followed up his attack on the ninja he'd knocked from the wall.

"Remember to use the monkey power!" Ron called out, but was already set upon by a ninja before he finished his sentence.

Kim was already on it. She darted forward, toward her attacker, then suddenly dodged right toward the wall. As she did so, she threw out her left arm and wrapped it around the ninja's neck before he had time to duck. The ninja was knocked back a couple of steps but fought to maintain his footing.

Kim was counting on this.

She leapt to the wall and ran a few steps along it, her body vertical, the ninja bearing her weight as he fought to keep his feet. Kim then launched herself from the wall, swinging her legs around and catching a second ninja in the head with both feet. Her shifting weight caused the ninja she was holding to reel, and Kim let go at the perfect moment, sending him head first into the wall. He crumpled up in a heap and did not move.

Kim twisted in the air and landed in a crouch, her right leg extended out to her side. The second assassin, the one she'd belted in the head with her feet, took an instant to recover and then came at her. Kim lunged straight upward, as though she were about to leap into a spinning kick. The ninja ducked forward to avoid the expected kick, but was surprised to find himself being pulled forward. Kim, instead of leaping into the air, lunged forward to meet the ninja as his head came down. Her right hand shot out and snaked around the left side of the ninja's neck. She pulled herself toward him, brining his head downward at an angle. The ninja's head just barely missed Kim's right hip. The forward momentum of his head abruptly stopped as Kim brought her right leg up behind her, and drove her heel into her attacker's face.

Ron was in pitched battle with his assailant. They traded blows, blocks and dodges for a few seconds before Ron employed a maneuver that made it seem as though he were going in two directions at once. In a sudden burst of confusion, the ninja stood upright, unsure of what to do next, and Ron drove a fist into his attacker's face, sending him sprawling.

Sensei, of course, was the ninjas' intended target. Ron suddenly realized why Monkey Fist hadn't attacked the castle in the last week since obtaining the Black Orchid Blade. He didn't know how to call forth the Wraith. And now he was attempting to capture the one person who had that knowledge.

Two ninjas had fallen upon Sensei. As they closed in, one of them raised a short piece of bamboo to his lips and blew hard. A dart, the tip covered in a sleep-inducing poison, shot out the other end of the bamboo. Sensei moved his head slightly, his left hand flashed upward and snatched the dart out of the air. Before either ninja had time to react, Sensei dropped to a crouch, lunged at the ninja who still had the bamboo pressed to his lips and thrust the dart into his leg. The ninja uttered a surprised yelp, became instantly paralyzed, and eventually keeled over unconscious. In the meantime, Sensei stepped forward, still in his crouch and straightened up, catching his second attacker's wrist in his hand as it attempted to land a blow on his neck. The ninja's arm stiffened immediately. Sensei pivoted and brought his free arm down upon the ninja's stiffened arm causing the elbow to bend. Almost faster then the human eye could detect, Sensei brought his free hand back around behind the fist that still grasped the ninja's wrist and drove it forward with all his strength, slamming the ninja's own fist into his face. His head rocked back and smacked against the wall. Sensei stood over his attacker for an instant, then moved on to help TJ who was busy with two of his own assailants.

TJ took a few punches as he moved in on one of his attackers and grappled with him. Using his footing and weight against him, TJ half-swung the ninja around him and tossed him at Kimono.

"Right leg roundhouse!" he called out.

Kimono's right leg swung out and the ninja folded up around it with a grunt. She finished him off with a blast of energy, then turned her attention back to something that was going on above her.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ron noticed Shego and Kimono were shooting energy beams seemingly into the air. He followed the beams and saw four or five more ninjas at the top of the outer wall.

_One of them might be Yori_, Ron thought to himself. He quickly assessed the situation around him, than ran over to the bottom of the wall. Stretching his hands out on either side of him, Ron closed his eyes and imagined himself floating rapidly up the face of the wall to the walkway at the top. When he opened his eyes, he was sitting cross-legged, enveloped in a crimson sphere, hovering a few feet above the top of the wall.

The sphere vanished, and Ron landed light as a cat on the walkway. He instantly ducked into a crouch as a shuriken – a ninja throwing star – sailed through the air, narrowly missing him, but finding a target in the ninja on the other side of him. Ron rolled toward the assailant who had thrown the star. Already the ninja had another shuriken in his fist, but in his haste to re-arm, had lost sight of his target. He was surprised to find the yellow-haired warrior behind him, one arm around his neck as the other reach out and grabbed the wrist holding the metal star and pulled it until the star drove into his own eye.

Ron shoved the assassin off the wall and sent him hurtling into the courtyard below. Without waiting to watch the ninja fall, he squared off against another assailant. Just as they were making their way toward each other, an arrow buried itself in the ninja's side. Three more arrows eliminated the remaining ninjas at the top of the wall.

Hidesato had summoned some of the Zuijen when the attack began, but stayed out of the battle, knowing his injury would be a liability.

Ron stood in a ready stance, unsure if his immediate area had been cleared of all assailants.

It hadn't.

Silently from the shadows, one last ninja leaped through the air at Ron, and fell into a heap at his feet, bristling with arrows.

Ron quickly moved from one end of the walkway to the other, doing his best to make sure there were no more surprises. When he was reasonably sure the ninjas had been taken care of, he moved to the fallen assailants and began removing their hoods. He didn't recognize any of them.

"Is Yori among the ninjas down there?" Ron called to the courtyard below.

After a moment, Kimono hollered back up, "Nope!"

Ron turned and looked out into the darkness. He could see the campfires of the enemy in the distance all around them, but that had become a familiar sight in the last twelve days. Nothing else seemed to be amiss. If someone else was out there waiting for the ninjas to return with their prize, then he could not see them.

As Ron turned back toward Hidesato's courtyard below, he spied three of Hidesato's personal guards lying on the walkway, tucked into the shadow.

"Kim!" Ron called down, "Tell Hidesato some of his men are up here. Looks like the ninjas took care of them."

"All right!" Kim called back up, "Are you OK?"

"Just a little rattled. Did any of our people get hurt?"

"TJ says he took a couple of punches, but otherwise everyone seems to be cool."

"All right," Ron answered, "I'm coming back down."

Ron put his hand out on either side of him once more. This time he was able to keep his eyes open as the crimson sphere formed around him. He imagined himself floating down the side of the wall, and saw it all happening as he did so. He brought himself to a hover a few feet above the courtyard surface, and lowered his legs as the sphere around him disappeared.

Kimono walked up to him with a sly grin, "Are you a good witch? Or a bad witch?"

"Huh?" Ron was momentarily confused, then figured out her reference, "Ha ha, KD. You think you're fusion, but you're not."

"Oku no motto yoi," Sensei said to Kim.

"Sensei says that was much better," Kim said, bewildered, "Has he been teaching you his mystical floaty thing?"

"Yeah!" Ron said with a smile, the first that had been on his face in more than a week, "Apparently it's part of the whole mystical monkey power. I'll have to teach you guys some time."

"And the mystical e-mail thingy." Kimono chimed in, "You have to show us how to do that, too."

"Oh, right," Ron said remembering, "I forgot all about that! I guess it must have worked that night I first tried it."

"Yeah," Kim confirmed, "I'd actually kinda forgotten all about that, too. Maybe you can start teaching us tonight."

"Not tonight," Ron said, "We have to plan our mission to get to the Tempus Simia. Monkey Fist will not stop until he has Sensei. Once he learns the secret…"

Ron trailed off. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"What is it?" Kim asked.

"Ask Sensei if he will tell us everything he knows about the Ohana Wraith, including how to call it forth." Ron said to his wife. "I seem to be forgetting what little Japanese I used to know."

Kim relayed the question. Sensei thought for a short while, then agreed. He led them back to his and Masaharu's room and they all sat down. Masaharu was outside overseeing the replacement of the watch, and ordering extra guards to be placed on the walls.

Sensei told them everything he knew of the Ohana Wraith, including his history with it and the method for calling it into existence. It was well into the night before he finished telling them what he knew. By that time Kimono, TJ and Shego had gone to bed, and Drakken was still hard at work with his builders.

As soon as Sensei was finished relaying his information, Ron convinced Sensei and Kim to sneak out of the castle with him. When this was accomplished, he led them into Ishigawa's camp and turned them over to Monkey Fist.

* * *

Just about the time when Ron – with a very confused Kim and a bewildered Sensei – were being challenged and then taken into custody by guards on patrol around Ishigawa's camp, the guards on watch at the wall above Hidesato's private courtyard heard a very familiar sound; an inbound arrow.

Instinctively, they dove for cover as the arrow sailed up and over the wall, sticking almost dead center of the gravelly area of Hidesato's courtyard. The senior guard of that watch immediately went down into the courtyard, taking some time to get there as there was no direct route.

He cautiously approached the arrow, ordering complete silence from his guards in case any more arrows came their way. But none did. The guard took a good long look at the arrow and then went and woke up Masaharu.

Masaharu came out into the courtyard wondering where Sensei was. When he saw the arrow, he forgot everything else. There was a small scroll bound to the shaft of the arrow. Masaharu immediately unrolled the paper and read silently to himself.

"Shinjirarenai!" Masahru muttered to himself and immediately went in to wake up Hidesato.

Hidesato was not a man who awakened easily, or cheerfully.

"We had better be under attack," He growled at his old friend.

"Not quite, Hidesato-sama. I think you should read this. It was just delivered via arrow." Masaharu bowed low and handed over the note.

Hidesato's eyes widened as he read, then he looked up at Masaharu, "Incredible!"

"That is precisely what I said when I read it." His old friend responded.

"Do you think it to be true?" Hidesato asked, his voice laced with wonder.

"It is so extraordinary that I believe it must be true." Masaharu answered.

"Why am I still in bed?" Hidesato got up as quickly as he could, "Get our forces ready to the last man. Find the Blue One they call Ryu and ask him if he needs anything. Make sure all our warriors are thoroughly armed and ready to go. I want to be ready to attack at first light."

"Should we order the castle into a defensive posture after we depart?" Masaharu suggested.

"No," Hidesato shook his head, "Today is the final battle. Today we fight for all or nothing."

"Then I am hoping Destiny will favor us with 'all'", Masaharu declared.

"Agreed, my old friend." Hidesato smiled at his Daimyo, "Agreed."

* * *

They were bound and led through several layers of security, each time being questioned by a more superior officer than before. When Ron had proposed the three of them sneak out of the castle, Kim was convinced they would be going on some clandestine mission to retrieve the Tempus Simia. She was shocked when Ron simply took them to the nearest of Ishigawa's guards. Then she was dismayed when Ron told her to tell the first guard that he had brought prisoners, one of whom possessed the secret of the Ohana Wraith.

"Ron," Kim whispered to her husband as they were being led to yet another security post, "Please tell me you know what you're doing."

"I know what I'm doing," Ron said without hesitation.

"You mean you don't?" Kim asked frantically.

"You told me to tell you I did, so I did." Ron stated simply.

"But this is… we didn't even bring any weapons." Kim realized.

"My bad." Ron said absently.

"Nan no dekigoto?" Sensei inquired.

"Sensei wants to know what is happening," Kim whispered, "So do I."

"I am turning you over to Monkey Fist in exchange for the Tempus Simia." Ron stated simply.

"What?" Kim's voice was laced with panic and dread. "Ron, please tell me you're kidding."

Ron looked at his wife and shook his head.

Kim knew he wasn't kidding. Numbly, she relayed the information to Sensei.

Sensei grunted, then seemed to nod his head as though he understood. He said something to Kim.

"Believe it or not, he actually finds logic in your plan. He says he is an old man, and is not likely to live much longer. To exchange him for the monkey idol would be a good trade. So why am I here?"

"You're here to translate," Ron said simply, "And since Monkey Fist probably has vengeance issues with you and/or me, you'll only sweeten the deal for him. I think he might be willing to turn over the Tempus Simia in exchange for you and the secret of the Ohana Wraith. Looks like it'll be morning soon."

Kim was speechless. She tried to process everything Ron had just said, but couldn't seem to grasp the logic in it. In addition, his almost casual tone seemed terribly out of place. Something was very wrong with her husband.

By the time they got through clearances and checkpoints, the faintest hint of light was visible in the sky to the east.

They were brought into an open space ringed with what looked like statues of gorillas. In actuality, of course, they were Monkey Fist's renewed army, including the great stone Guardian of Satsuma. There were more than twice as many Stone Gorilla warriors as before, all of them facing outward from Monkey Fist's pavilion.

Fist had already been alerted to their arrival, and was waiting outside the pavilion. He had the Magnolia Blades on his back, and the Lotus Blade clenched in his fist. Ishigawa stood near by holding the rest of the Blades. Ron looked everywhere but could not see Yori.

"You know," Monkey Fist said with a grin, "I did not believe the messenger when he awakened me with the news that you, Kim Possible and Sensei had actually surrendered yourselves."

Monkey Fist nodded his head in a particular direction. Ron followed his nod and saw the body of a young Japanese warrior.

"So unbelievable it was that I had him killed for making up such a ludicrous story. Looks like I was mistaken. What exactly possessed you to turn yourself over to a villain?"

"He seems to be making a habit of it," Kim muttered.

"I've come to make a deal with you, Monty." Ron said casually, ignoring his wife.

"Oh, this should be interesting." Monkey Fist declared, walking right up to Kim. "Do go on."

"I will give you Kim Possible, and Sensei, who holds the secret of the Ohana Wraith. In return, you give me the Tempus Simia." Ron explained, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Hmmm" Monkey Fist acted as though he was actually considering it, "Tempting, but I don't think so. How about this? You get the old man here to tell me the secret of the Ohana Wraith, or I kill Kim Possible."

Monkey Fist brought the Lotus Blade up to Kim's throat and held it there.

Ron's eyes widened in a look of shock, as though he hadn't expected events to take this particular turn.

"No," He pleaded, "Don't do it, Monkey Fist. Please, I know you are a man of honor."

"I am no such thing," Fist said with an evil grin.

"Don't tell him, Ron!" Kim said through gritted teeth. "Don't do it!"

"Please," Ron pleaded, "Don't! I'll tell you. I know the secret of the Ohana Wraith."

Yori appeared at the entrance to Monkey Fist's tent. She was carrying the Tempus Simia.

"No!" Kim said louder, "Don't do this, Ron!"

"Tell me or she dies in three seconds." Monkey Fist growled.

"OK… I'll tell you!"

"Two!"

"No…wait!"

"One!"

"IT'S THE SYMBOL FOR MONKEY!" Ron shouted as loud as he could, "You have to arrange the Blades in the symbol of the Monkey."

"We've already tried that!" Monkey Fist snarled, "It didn't work."

"I'm guessing you tried the Japanese symbol for monkey. We're talking about Monkey Kung Fu, you idiot! Kung Fu is Chinese!" Ron blurted in his most contempt-filled voice.

Money Fist's eyes widened. Then a slow, evil smile spread across his face, "I know that symbol."

The man/monkey quickly arranged the Ohana Blades in the pattern of the Chinese symbol for 'monkey'. To his surprise, there were notches in each weapon so they could be fitted together into place.

Suddenly there was a rumble in the earth. The Blades rose into the air and seemed to lose solid cohesion. They swirled in a misty vortex of increasing power. Monkey Fist backed away, entranced by what was happening. Ron himself was mesmerized by what was taking place.

"Ron, what have you done?" Kim yelled above the roar of the gathering Wraith.

Ron seemed not to hear her.

The vortex narrowed, and all that had appeared misty began to take shape. Several seconds later, a gigantic gorilla stood in the midst of camp.

Ron looked over at Sensei, whose eyes had widened in surprise.

But somewhere in the distance, the roar continued. What they had thought was part of the noise of the forming of the Wraith was actually something else entirely. There seemed to be shouting, and clashing of metal upon metal.

Suddenly, one of Ishigawa's soldiers burst into the central camp. He took a frightened look at the towering gorilla and then scurried over to Ishigawa, bowing low.

"My lord," He cried out frantically, "We are being attacked by an army from the south!"

"What?" Ishigawa peeled his eyes away from the awesome sight of the Wraith, "What is this?"

"An army from the south is attacking us, my lord! They are led by the son of the emperor you slew, and another who wears the ceremonial armor of the Shogun!" the messenger explained.

Then another messenger burst into the central camp. He seemed to be accompanied by yet another roar that came from the direction of the castle.

"My lord Ishigawa!" the messenger cried after beholding the terrible sight of the Ohana Wraith, "Hidesato's army is pouring out of the castle, they are even now attacking our forces closest to them!"

"My army is spread out in siege formation!" Ishigawa turned and bellowed at Monkey Fist, "We are caught in a trap!"

* * *

And so they were.

As it turned out, Kintaro had not been trapped outside of Mutsu Castle.

Hidesato had sent his son on an errand.

Kintaro was to make his way south to Osaka, find out what, if any, was the situation regarding the Emperor, and attempt to rally help to Hidesato's cause.

In the meantime, Hidesato's purpose in retaking Mutsu Castle was to keep Ishigawa occupied with the siege. With all his attentions directed at Mutsu Castle, it would be very unlikely that Ishigawa would expect any attack from the south. After all, he had already conquered the rest of Japan.

Or so he believed.

Kintaro had to use the best of his ninja skills to make his way through Ishigawa's forces. At one point, he killed a cavalry rider and donned his uniform, informing his superior officer that he knew of a supply cache at a nearby farm. Should he go and verify its existence?

Kintaro then rode hard for Osaka and made his way to the royal palace. As Hidesato had guessed, the son of the emperor - the rightful heir to the throne – who was a sixteen year old boy named Kotei, was being held in a sort of 'house arrest', by a garrison Ishigawa had left in Osaka.

Ishigawa could not kill the boy outright, nor could he throw the young man in jail and be rid of him. It was an odd sort of unwritten code of conduct in feudal Japan that if you wanted to conquer the country, then you battled the other provincial lords for the right to be Shogun. Though he had killed the emperor, slaying the emperor's son would not have been a wise course of action.

If Ishigawa had killed the son of the emperor, he would have found himself facing a revolt not only by the conquered provinces, but even pitchfork and rake wielding peasants who never would have accepted him as their ruler. The emperor – who was seen by the peasant class as a minor deity - was the ruler of Japan, even if sometimes he was just a figurehead and the Shogun had the true power.

Kintaro was allowed to visit Kotei and was very warmly received. News of Hidesato's resistance had reached all corners of Japan, and now the son of Hidesato brought with him a plea for support in his father's cause.

Though Kintaro was fast approaching the age of twenty-one, he liked the young emperor immediately. In his father's place, Kintaro swore allegiance to Kotei's throne, and vowed before him that Ishigawa would not become Shogun if it were within his power to prevent it.

Kotei then sent Kintaro out with secret messages to several Imperial daimyos who in turn secretly raised an army loyal to Kotei and his cause. Though to call it an army was perhaps using a generous description. It was barely a thousand men.

On the fifth night of the siege at Mutsu Castle, Kotei led the charge in a surprise skirmish that eliminated Ishigawa's garrison at Osaka.

Now they had to work quickly, because news would no doubt begin to make its way northward, and reach Ishigawa's ears.

Kotei was young, but he was not a fool. His father had taught him that to the be an effective emperor, Kotei would have to be equal parts warrior and politician. Kotei knew his royal daimyos would follow him, but remnants of the armies of loyal provinces might not be so eager to march into battle behind a wet-behind-the-ears, teenaged emperor. Kotei quickly proclaimed himself supreme ruler of Japan, then turned and pronounced Kintaro as Japan's Shogun. With the son of Hidesato as Japan's new military ruler, more warriors began to answer Kotei's call to arms.

On the morning of the day that Yori stole the Orchid Blade, Kintaro and Koeti rode out of Osaka at the head of an army of ten thousand men.

As it turned out, rumor did begin to spread northward, but it actually worked to their advantage. In several provinces between Mutsu and Osaka, the puppet lords Ishigawa had installed were assassinated. The provincial daimyos whose lords had been loyal to the emperor, mustered what remained of their armies and marched out to join the rightful Japanese emperor and his new Shogun; Kintaro, son of Hidesato, companion to the mighty Outworlders who were even now fighting against the forces of Ishigawa and the monkey demon.

When they crossed the border of Mutsu province, Kintaro and Kotei were leading an army of forty thousand warriors.

* * *

The note that arrived by arrow in the private courtyard of the lord Hidesato read as follows:

_Father,_

_The emperor Kotei and I are camped with an army of forty thousand at the southern end of Idzumo valley. Thus far my advance scouts report no scouting activity being conducted by Ishigawa or the monkey demon. It looks as though you have succeeded in thoroughly occupying Ishigawa's attention. We shall do our best to make your efforts worthwhile._

_One more thing, and I am sorry you have to find out this way, but I have been named Shogun by Emperor Kotei. I believe it is a move on his part to gain support for your cause and support for himself. I am not comfortable with this, as you truly deserve to hold this particular office._

_As is, I will do my best to make you proud, and bring you honor._

_We will be attacking Ishigawa's southern flank at first light._

* * *

_What is thy bidding, my master?_

"Calm yourself, fool!" Monkey Fist snarled at Ishigawa, "You sound like a frightened little girl. We have the Ohana Wraith. We are invincible."

The Wraith stood stock still, waiting for orders.

"Kill these three!" Monkey Fist shouted up at the Wraith, "Then destroy the armies that are attacking my forces!"

_What is they bidding?_

Confused, Monkey Fist switched to English, "Destroy the armies that are attacking my forces!"

Ron was looking at Sensei, who looked back at him with a look of pure astonishment. Ron had never seen such unabashed emotion on his old master's face. Ron turned and spoke to Monkey Fist in a tone so casual, he might have been talking to someone at the local coffee shop.

"You know, Monty, someone reminded me of something very important last week," and here he looked very hard at Yori, "Even though you have something – or someone – in your possession, doesn't mean it – or he - belongs to you. I was talking with Sensei last night and a thought occurred to me…"

* * *

_What is thy bidding?_

Monkey Fist had not heard the Wraith's request, he had simply assumed the giant gorilla was his to give orders to. The request was heard by Sensei, inside his head, the same way it happened so many years before.

* * *

"… It seems the Ohana Wraith may have only had one master in its entire existence. Hard to say for sure, but even if it has had other masters, those guys are dead and Sensei's still alive." Ron allowed his own evil grin to spread across his face. "And you know, that Wraith just might not recognize anyone but Sensei as his to command."

In utter shock, Monkey Fist stepped right up to Ron, realizing too late that any weapons he had been carrying were currently comprising the form of the giant gorilla that didn't seem to be listening to his orders.

"You knew this all along?" Monkey Fist snarled.

"You're not the only one who can put on an act!" Ron spat with contempt, then adopted a cheesy English accent, mocking Fist's own, "And dash it all if I'm not much better at it than you!"

Before he finished his sentence, Ron took a step back and leaped into the air, bringing his hands - which were bound behind him - down beneath his feet in a sort of reverse jump-rope action. Upon landing, he clenched his fists together and brought them hurtling upward, slamming into Montgomery Fiske's chin. Fist's head was rocked back so hard, the monkey demon instantly thought his neck had broken.

* * *

_What is thy bidding?_

'Destroy the monkey army. Then eradicate Ishigawa's forces. Do not kill Ishigawa or the demon known as Monkey Fist.'

* * *

The Wraith turned and picked up two Stone Gorillas, smashing them together while he stamped the ground and destroyed four more.

"Yori has the idol!" Ron shouted at Kim, then crouched and swept his leg through Monkey Fist's feet, sending Montgomery sprawling.

Sensei had already escaped from his bindings, and brought his hand down behind Kim in a blinding fast chopping motion, severing the ropes that bound her wrists. Kim took off at a sprint toward the entrance to the tent. Yori yelped and slipped inside.

Monkey Fist groggily recovered his feet and screamed, "Destroy the Ohana Wraith!"

Instantly, the Stone Guardian and the Ohana Wraith began to grapple, like two giant wrestlers in a match to decide the fate of humanity. The remaining Stone gorillas and the stone chimp archers all bounded in and piled on to the Wraith's legs, attempting to topple the behemoth.

Ron backhanded Monty with his left as a distraction to hide his incoming right fist which he drove into the monkey demon's nose. Ron noted with satisfaction the crunch that he both heard with his ears, and felt with his fist. Monkey Fist screamed and scrambled away. Ron went after him.

Sensei found himself facing an enraged Ishigawa.

"Again we meet," Ishigawa snarled, "Once was a time when I learned from you. Now, I am the master."

"Only a master of evil, Ishigawa," Sensei replied calmly.

Ishigawa lunged forward, slashing at the unarmed man with his katana. Sensei bent backward and allowed the blade to pass within inches of him. He straightened back up and took several steps backward, ducking and dodging Ishigawa's lightning-fast attacks.

* * *

At that moment, Ishigawa's forces on the north side of the castle beheld a sight that struck them with fear and awe.

As Hidesato's army poured out of the front gate, shouting and charging the closest of the enemy forces, something rose from within the castle walls and into the air above them.

Four wagon platforms, whose wheels and axles were removed, had been fastened together by wooden nails and rope and so forth. A fifth wagon platform was mounted outward on the center of one side of the large four-wagon platform. Mounted upon the whole thing was a complex network of gears which began with four, large turn-cranks, and ended at two large vertical posts mounted in the center of the platform equidistant from each other. Two Drakkenites were stationed at each of the large crank handles, while eight more Drakkenites crouched close by in reserve to relieve the others when they became fatigued.

The two center posts were hollowed out and contained two large, vertical bamboo poles that extended several feet beyond the top of each hollowed-out post. Securely mounted to the top end of each bamboo pole were sturdy wooden planks, sanded smooth on the edges to make them flatter and rounder. The planks were mounted at a slight angle. At the back end of the single wagon platform there was a smaller apparatus that looked like the larger vertical ones mounted on the posts, except this one was mounted horizontally with two vertical rudders extended beyond it. This apparatus was connected to the same network of gears that were operated by the large cranks.

In honor of his daughter, Drakken called his machine: 'The Kimono-copter'.

Drakken sat directly under the forward rotor operating an almost confusing network of levers and pedals which he used to control altitude and direction. Immediately in front of him, at the forward end of the platform, TJ sat nervously behind a smaller version of Drakken's tank contraptions. In essence, it was an arrow-firing Gatling gun made of bamboo. Down each side of the machine crouched five terrified Zuijen archers, while Shego and Kimono crouched at the rear.

Drakken managed to design the machine so that a minimal amount of effort at the cranks would produce fast enough rotations of the rotors to generate the needed lift.

So, to the astonishment of those still in the castle, the Drakkenites began to turn the cranks, the rotors spun faster and faster, and the Rube Goldberg-esque flying machine lifted itself up and sailed out over the wall toward the jaw-dropped warriors of Ishigawa's army.

TJ turned the small crank in front of him and arrows spewed forth in rapid-fire from the short bamboo barrel in front of him. His feet worked two pedals which swiveled the gun emplacement back and forth. Of the roughly fifty arrows that shot from the gun, one managed to hit an enemy soldier.

"I really suck at this!" TJ called back over his shoulder.

"Try to anticipate the targets! Remember, we're moving so don't shoot at what's in front of you, shoot at what's ahead of you!" Drakken coached him as he brought the Kimono-copter around for another pass, "And make your shots count! We've only got three boxes of ammo for that thing!"

Initially, the Zuijen's aim was greatly affected by their flying-induced terror, but as they became accustomed to the motion of the craft, their terror gradually reduced to just plain fear and they were better able to hit their targets.

Shego and Kimono crouched in the rear and rained green and turquoise fire down on the enemy.

And above all the noise, Drakken's voice drifted down upon Ishigawa's warriors from his monstrous flying machine as it swooped back and forth overhead, "MWAAA HA HA HA HA HA! HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW MESU INUS?"

Shego stopped firing for a second and turned to her daughter, "'Mesu inus?'"

"Japanese for the plural form of 'female dog'," Kimono replied dryly.

"Ah… lovely."

* * *

The Wraith shot light from its hand, but the Guardian was not blinded. Then shadow from its other hand, but again, the Guardian was unaffected. It stamped its feet and managed to destroy about half the stone Gorillas that were trying to take it down. The Wraith continued to grapple back and forth with the giant Stone Guardian of Satsuma.

In the tent, Yori whimpered and tried to retreat from Kim's attacks. She'd managed to dodge most of Kim's blows but several solid punches had found their way to her jaw and chin. Yori kept the idol behind her, while trying to defend herself with her free hand. She seemed confused, unsure of what to do. She kept the idol out of Kim's reach, pulling it behind her as Kim lunged for it, but the look on Yori's face was one of fear mixed with bewilderment.

Kim had already demanded Yori give her the idol twice, and Yori didn't respond; just gazed at Kim with hurt, confused eyes.

Kim felt she had no choice. Getting the idol was the highest priority, and she didn't have time to figure out Yori's odd behavior. Finally, Kim took a couple of steps back, sized Yori up and down, then took a run at her. Yori feigned a dodge to one side, then the other, but was unable to draw her assailant out. Kim homed in on the idol and lunged for it. As expected, Yori drew it behind her, but instead of continuing to reach for it, Kim drove the full force of her attack into Yori's ribs.

Yori fell sprawling, the idol tumbled away from her. Instead of going for the Tempus Simia, Kim wanted to make sure she would not be attacked from behind. As Yori scrambled for the Idol, Kim brought her full body weight down on top of the other woman, driving an elbow into the back of her skull. Yori's face went into the dirt with a muffled grunt, and though she writhed in pain, she seemed unable to get up or even raise her head.

Kim grabbed the idol and raced to the entrance of the tent.

"Ron!" she screamed, "I've got it!"

"Destroy it!" Ron bellowed.

Monkey Fist looked up and gibbered incoherently. He scrambled toward Kim but was grabbed from behind by Ron who leaped onto the monkey demon's shoulders and drove his head downward, slamming it into the earth.

Kim triumphantly raised the idol above her head, ready to smash it to the ground with all the strength she could muster.

Then she disappeared.

Ron was looking right at her and she simply vanished.

The idol fell to the ground but did not break.

Blind panic descended upon Ron Stoppable.

"NO!" He screamed as he fought to get to his feet, "SENSEI! HELP! THE IDOL! DESTROY THE IDOL!"

The tent disappeared, Yori was sitting up looking around in a daze at the sudden appearance of the sun and sky.

The Stone Guardian vanished.

Then Ishigawa disappeared.

Ron felt as though his feet were mired in tar. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion.

Monkey Fist winked out of existence.

Kintaro came riding up. The horse disappeared out from under him and he tumbled to the ground.

"KINTARO!" Ron screamed and pointed at the Tempus Simia.

A quiet began to descend upon the battlefield as warriors vanished by the thousands.

Trees disappeared.

Ron suddenly lost his footing and he found himself floating as the earth beneath him vanished.

The sun winked out.

Ron was briefly conscious of a vast field of stars, then they too disappeared.

Ron looked wildly about and was aware that he and many others were floating in a dim, gray void of nothingness. There seemed to be two distinct bands of energy that stretched away from him into eternity.

Ron became aware that he could not breathe.

He looked around and saw the Tempus Simia, floating lazily in the void. Then he was aware of several of the Ohana Blades drifting nearby.

He held out his hand and called for the Lotus. It sailed easily into his grasp.

_One Shot!_ Ron thought dimly as he changed the Lotus Blade into a large hammer.

He took aim as best he could and threw the hammer forward, willing it to strike and destroy the Tempus Simia.

It missed.

Then Ron Stoppable vanished.


	25. XXIV

Author tries not to cry: So this is it. Well, there's still the epilogue. If you are reading this just before your work shift is about to start… go to work! The story will still be here when you get back. Besides, this chapter's a long one. And this after I did a ton of cutting and editing. But I guess I didn't want a quick goodbye, much the way Tolkein reluctantly ended his masterpiece (not that this work is anywhere near that, but I understand now why there are so many endings to Return Of The King). Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter. I got called 'evil' no less than twenty times. I just wanted to write the ultimate cliffie; the universe ends and the hero vanishes. Oh, one more thing, in this chapter I put a tribute to my favorite Christmas movie: A Christmas Story. Please understand that's all it is, and please spare me any politically correct griping via e-mail, I'm just having a little fun here.

My grateful thanks to all who read this story, and actually stayed with it despite rocketing up over the two hundred thousand word count. It's over now, and I'll write the epilogue, then take a few weeks off. Then I will get started on three crossovers, all of which take place in the REUNION Universe. I know I said I would write the Incredibles crossover next, but I pushed it back.

Coming Soon: "Indiana Jones and the Idol of Destiny". Find out just how the Tempus Simia came to be in the Middleton Museum… and what Nana Possible had to do with it.

Grateful thanks to the reviewers:ar1502599, JPMod, Zaratan, cwizard, RamaFan, Andy Costa, PseudoJuliet, Happy Raven, Visigoth 29527, The Incredible WereKitty, qtpie235, Muttly, Kemiztri, aimtbj, Widow Shark, Pwn Master Paladin, Sestren NK, the X-Factor, Tazer Zero, MrDrP, Commander Argus, Invader Thing, no name, Cold-Chaos, Texas Dad, Ezbok58a, jiggcitychick, Porphyria-Kris, Sean Of War, Scoutcraft Piratess, Chao-hellsing, Autumn C, bluegman, mattb3671, WesUAH, Dreammurgurl, and Dixon-San.

With my sincerest apologies to the late Johnny Cash…

* * *

XXIV

* * *

The chaos and nothingness of the void actually had a calming effect on Yori. Here at the end of all things she was overcome by a sense of serenity.

Soon it would all be over.

She watched as Drakken flailed about for a short time then winked out of existence. Yori noted the horrified look on Kimono's face just before she also vanished.

She waited for oblivion to come to her. This would be a relief, a blessing. She wouldn't have to face the others, or face herself. She wouldn't have to live with the consequences of what she had done, both to herself and those who had considered her a friend.

'_What exactly is the sitch between you and… Stoppable-san?'_

Kim had asked her that more than a decade ago.

_And what was your reply? _

Yori noted with some dismay that the Voice had not ceased to exist.

In the distance, Shego, misery plastered on her face, disappeared.

_Come on, answer the question!_

Yori realized she wasn't breathing, though she was not losing consciousness either. She simply existed in an eternal gray void with a few remaining people and objects and what looked like two bands of energy - one crimson and one a yellowish color - stretching into forever.

Yori tried to answer the question aloud, but no sound came form her mouth.

'A bond of honor' Yori thought to herself.

_Not exactly 'I'm in love with him', is it?_

'I… I was not raised to express my feelings well.'

_Ah, so this is all Sensei's fault._

Several of the Ohana Blades winked out of existence.

'No… it is not.'

_Good answer. Because the truth is, if you love someone enough, you'll tell them. You'll tell them and understand that you cannot make them love you in return._

Again, tears emerged from Yori's eyes.

Something bumped in to her shoulder. Yori turned her head and saw the Tempus Simia beginning to drift away from her. She reached out and took it into her arms, cradling it as though it were a newborn child.

'Soon,' She thought, 'It will be over very soon now.'

_So we've established that 'a bond of honor' is a poor substitute for 'I love him'. What do you suppose it means when someone says 'I would follow you back to your world, or any other, just to gaze upon your beauty'? That goes well beyond 'I think you're a hot chick', yes?_

'Yes.'

_It does because you knew what he meant when he said it. He would gladly devote himself to you._

'He wouldn't now.'

_No?_

'No."

_Look up to your left._

Yori's head swiveled around and her eyes locked with Kintaro's. He was drifting, not too far away from her, and he was not panicking. Yori could sense he understood what was happening. In his hands he grasped the Lotus Blade.

_Look at the way he's looking at you._

'I…'

_He knows what you've done and even now he looks at you with eyes that hold no anger, no wrath toward you. He loves you, even though he has every right to hate you for what you've done._

Kintaro tried to say something, but no sound came from his mouth. He pushed the Lotus Blade in Yori's direction.

_You are content to let your existence end. Are you content to let his end as well?_

The Blade drifted toward her.

_Love is not a decade-long obsession. It does not wallow in self-pity. Love puts others first, even if sometimes those others might not love us in return._

Sensei vanished. Soon after, TJ disappeared.

_Sometimes a hero is someone who overcomes self-doubt and self-loathing, struggles to her feet, and carries on once more. Remember long ago when Ron told you of the night he and Kim were taken captive by Drakken? That was when Drakken unleashed those Diablo-bots on the world. I know you remember that night, you and Hirotaka spent time battling the Diablo-bot you got at the Tokyo Bueno Nacho._

'I remember'

_Kim had given up. She had been beaten, and began to feel sorry for herself. As Ron was telling you about this, you realized, even if Ron did not, that it was his belief in her – his love for her – that gave her the strength to fight on; to do the right thing._

'Yes.'

Several more random objects disappeared. There was not much left now. The two energy bands began to fade.

_What are those eyes telling you right now?_

Yori looked into Kintaro's eyes once more.

_You have the heart of a hero. And someone loves you, believes in you. What are you going to do about it?_

Yori extended her hand and called the Lotus Blade. With the other hand she held the Tempus Simia out in front of her. The Lotus Blade glowed bright white as she changed it into a large hammer. She brought it down on the idol with all her strength.

Halfway through the arc of her swing, the Lotus Blade vanished.

Disbelieving, Yori watched as her empty fist swung harmlessly past the monkey-shaped idol, brushing up against the side of its head. She turned a shocked expression toward Kintaro. He returned her astonishment, then his countenance fell.

All was lost.

Yori pulled the Tempus Simia back to her, and looked at Kintaro once more. He shook his head sadly.

'What do I do now?'

The Voice did not answer.

Yori could not believe what had just happened. Now, at the end of everything when she finally decided she did not want it to end, oblivion would come to claim her after all.

Filled with despair, she began to extend her arms outward, releasing the Tempus Simia into the void. Soon she would-

Something was different.

Yori caught hold of the idol and brought it close to her face. The head of the Tempus Simia was turned slightly to its right. As many times as she had recently held the small monkey statue, she knew that the head always faced perfectly forward.

With one hand on the body, and one hand on the head, Yori turned the monkey's head further to the right and then pulled on it, separating it from the body of the idol.

Monkey Fist suddenly appeared in front of her.

In addition, one of the energy bands blazed back to its full crimson glory. From the near end of the energy stream, a ribbon shot forth, opening in a vortex near Monkey Fist.

Yori pushed the head of the Tempus Simia in Kintaro's direction. He just managed to catch it, but could not take his eyes off of what was happening.

Monkey Fist was a vision of confusion. He looked about wildly, trying to comprehend what was happening. He twisted his head this way and that, then twisted his body around to see behind him. What he saw there struck him with overwhelming terror.

Yori, her eyes blazing with wrath (the fact that, from Monkey Fist's perspective, the crimson vortex was reflected in those eyes contributed much to his fright), held the body of the Tempus Simia above her. She hurled it forward with every ounce of strength she could manage.

The idol slammed into Monkey Fist's head, shattering into more than a dozen pieces, and fracturing his skull in the process. The impact drove him somersaulting backwards into the vortex, which closed around him and the shattered remains of the Tempus Simia like a devouring maw.

Both energy bands blazed forth with the intensity of a supernova.

Yori was instantly aware of stars, then the sun, then blue sky. Air rushed into her lungs. The ground winked into existence beneath her feet, followed soon by gravity. She stumbled and fell into the just-appeared grass. The tent abruptly formed around her.

Kim Possible was suddenly standing at the entrance to the tent, her back to Yori, her arms raised over her head.

* * *

Empty apartment.

Then various furnishings and things reappeared.

Soon, she was standing before him once more.

"What…?" She looked around, confused, "Something just happened. What was that?"

"SHE DID IT!" Wade shouted at the top of his lungs. "Kim restored the timeline!"

Before Monique had a chance to react, Wade took her in an almost suffocating bear hug and planted a huge kiss on her lips, not letting go until she begged to be let up for air.

"Was that what happened?" she asked, laughing, "Kim did what you guys were trying to do?"

"Yeah!" Wade said excitedly then kissed his fiancé again, "I gotta get back to my basement and check on a couple of things. I love you, baby!"

"I love you too, ya big hambone!" Monique giggled.

Wade bounded down the stairs of her apartment building and back to his car screaming at the top of his lungs, "WOOOO HOOOO!"

Monique watched him drive off, looked up at the sun and the sky and took a huge breath of air.

"Way to go, girl!" She said quietly.

* * *

"What was that you said about bacon?" Mrs. Doctor Possible called from the kitchen.

"I said you know I always like bacon with everything, I'm surprised you still feel the need to ask after all these years." James Possible said to his wife, then looked around, "Did something just happen?"

"You know, I think something _did_ just happen," His wife said, giving him a strange look, "What do you suppose it was?"

"Hard to say," He answered, "But I bet Kimmie and Ronald had something to do with it."

* * *

Dr. Justine Du watched as the key component she had been working on for her Quantum Disruptor reappeared in her hands. She stared at it for a minute, relishing the feel of the piece of metal and silicone in her grasp once more.

The phone at her workstation rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Darling!" Justine gushed, "Hi! How are you feeling?"

"Still pretty banged up, but much better. Did the timeline blink out and come back just now?"

"I think that's what happened, yes. Whatever it was, I had nothing to do with it."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going crazy, or got a serious bump on my head the doctors didn't catch."

"No," Justine said laughing, "You didn't get a bump on your head. As to your sanity… that's up for debate."

"Ha ha. Hey, if you get some free time today, do you think you could bring my laptop to the hospital? I got this cool idea for a Speed Racer time travel story."

"Ugh!" Justine groaned, "Please tell me you didn't just dream up some multi-dimensional death for that poor monkey."

"Chim-Chim is evil and you know it."

"OK, OK!" Justine protested, laughing once more, "I am not having this argument again. You know what? It seems I suddenly have some free time just now. I'll run home and grab your laptop and come right over."

"Sweet! See you soon!"

"Yes you will… Wil."

* * *

_**THWARTED!**_

Somehow, some way, something had gone horribly right.

He was aware of everything around him disappearing, and was filled with a supreme sense of self-satisfaction… then, here he was again. Just… here, trapped once more in the simulation.

Apollyon looked around at the synthetic backdrop of Paris in disbelief. It _had_ all disappeared. He'd seen it! Then it all had come back.

He noted with bitter sarcasm that he had just joined the long list of villains whose plans had somehow been foiled by Kim Possible. Because it could have been no one else but her, and her team of cohorts. With dread, Apollyon began to wonder if Ron Stoppable might have had something to do with it as well. Deep within his synthetic mind, he believed this was very likely true.

Rage consumed him. He had become like Drakken, like Monkey Fist…

…like his creator Ray Beam.

Failure began to feel like a stench that clung to him.

He turned, looking about until suddenly his vision was filled with what looked like a gaping, metal tunnel. Apollyon stepped back a couple of paces to discover the metal tunnel was actually the barrel of a sawed-off, pistol grip shotgun pointing at his head.

Holding the shotgun was a six-foot tall naked mole rat wearing a black trench coat and black leather pants.

He was also wearing a smirk.

"You lose." Rufus cracked, "Oh, and Team Possible says 'hi'."

Apollyon's world was suddenly filled with fear, fire and agony.

* * *

"DESTROY TH-" Ron skidded to a halt, blinking in surprise. He had been aware of Kim's disappearance, and the world had fallen away beneath him. But suddenly here he was again in the central camp of the enemy, his wife was standing at the entrance to Monkey Fist's tent, her arms stretched above her in an absurd sort of 'touchdown' gesture.

He took a step forward when suddenly a horse appeared in front of him. It just simply appeared, galloping from nowhere, without a rider.

Kintaro's horse actually continued to gallop for several more minutes before it realized its rider was no longer upon its back. Confused, it eventually made its way clear of the battle and found a nice meadow in which to munch grass the rest of that day.

Kim looked up, disoriented for an instant. It was as if the lights had gone out in the world, and when they came back on, the Tempus Simia was no longer in her grasp. Thinking Yori must have snatched it from her, she whirled around to see the other woman standing behind her. Instantly she went on the attack.

"Where is it?" Kim snarled, driving a fist into Yori's face.

Yori did not attempt to defend herself, and was sent sprawling. She struggled to her feet.

"I destroyed it." She said weakly.

"I don't believe you." Kim leaped into the air and brought her foot thudding into Yori's jaw, snapping her head back violently. Again, the other woman did not attempt to defend herself.

"It is true." Yori's speech was slurred by the blood that trickled from her mouth and her rapidly swelling jaw.

"We don't have time for this!" Kim growled, snatching up a short sword that lay near by. She moved quickly to Yori and took a handful of the other woman's hair in her fist, yanking her head back at an almost impossible angle.

Yori felt cold steel against her throat.

"Yes." She said calmly, though tears began to slide down the side of her face, "This you must do. Please make it quick."

Kim let go of her and took a step back. This wasn't right. Warily she scanned the room to see if the monkey idol was hidden somewhere.

"Kim!" Her husband's voice came from the entrance to the tent.

"Please," Yori sobbed, "End my life."

"It's done, Kim. Look!"

Kim turned around to see Ron. Next to him was Kintaro who was holding the head of the Tempus Simia in his hands.

"Ask him what happened!" Ron prodded, eager to know himself.

Kim did so, and Kintaro gave her a quick version of all that had taken place within the void. Barely believing it, Kim relayed the story to Ron.

"The Lotus Blade!" Ron blurted, then ran outside.

The Ohana Wraith was nowhere to be seen. In the center of the camp stood the still form of the Stone Guardian of Satsuma, surrounded by a jumbled pile of Stone Gorillas and Stone Chimp archers. None of them moved. In front of the Stone guardian, the Ohana Blades were standing, protruding from the earth as though someone had stuck them there.

Ron raised his hand and called the Lotus Blade. It sailed to him, coming to its familiar rest in his grasp.

Then he became aware that a massive battle was raging all around them. Whatever disorientation the armies had suffered, they were over it now and fighting in earnest.

"Kintaro-sama! Kintaro-sama!"

About thirty warriors came running into the central camp; they were dressed in ceremonial kimonos and carrying ornate katanas. The Imperial Shogunate Guard; elite samurai whose combat skills rivaled, and sometimes excelled, that of any ninja. They took up a defensive position near the entrance to the tent, while the captain of the guard went in to check on the condition of the Shogun. He admired the way Kintaro had led the charge when the attack began, but was somewhat vexed when he saw his new master fight his way through the enemy lines and into the enemy central encampment alone.

"Dad!" TJ's voice was heard above the roar of battle.

"Looks like this is the place to be." Ron muttered as he saw TJ helping his father-in-law into camp while Shego and Kimono followed, blasting at enemy troops. They were being protected by a contingent of warriors Hidesato had dispatched to defend them.

When the timeline restored, Drakken was so disoriented he lost control of his flying machine and they went down hard. Because they were at such low altitude, no one was killed, though Drakken broke his right arm upon impact. They would have been slaughtered immediately by the enemy had not the Zuijen who had been on board the copter set to work. Shaken and bruised, they were much relieved to be back on the ground, and thus their aim had drastically improved. They held off the enemy until Hidesato managed to get some protection over to them. But by the time they were ready to return to Hidesato, the enemy had surged forward and cut them off, so they fought their way down the hill and into the central encampment.

"You guys all right?" Ron's voice was laced with concern.

"Pop's got a broken arm," TJ panted, "The rest of us are bruised but OK."

"Up for a fight?" Ron continued, looking from his son to his daughter-in-law.

Both TJ and Kimono nodded.

So far, Ishigawa's forces were staying beyond the ring of Stone Gorillas, having been ordered upon pain of death never to enter the central encampment. And since the three armies were now thoroughly engaged, the enemy archers were unable to do anything other than fight hand-to-hand. The Zuijen, of course, continued their masterful marksmanship unabated.

Kim made a quick assessment of Drakken and assured him he would be all right. Drakken was having a difficult time staying conscious because of the pain.

Ron changed the Lotus Blade into the Cactus Blade and destroyed the Stone Guardian, shattering it into many smaller pieces. Still none of the Stone Gorillas moved. Whatever power controlled them was clearly gone.

"Get Dr. D into the tent," Ron ordered Shego, who surprisingly just nodded her head and did as she was told.

Kintaro gave orders for his samurai to guard the tent. Without questioning, they took up a defensive position around the small pavilion.

"Gear up, Stoppables," Ron said to the others, pointing to the Ohana Blades protruding from the ground nearby, "Let's finish this war!"

* * *

"Impressive." Ishigawa observed as Sensei managed to stay just out of reach of his slashing katana, "Most impressive."

Sensei said nothing. Ishigawa continued to attack his former teacher, while Sensei continued to dodge, and move back several steps with each ingress of his opponent. Sensei looked out of the corner of his eye toward the tent, trying to see if anyone might be coming to assist his attacker.

Ishigawa turned his head for an instant, following Sensei's gaze, then looked back at his old master.

"No one is coming to help you," he jeered, "You cannot pos-"

Something was not quite right.

Sensei stood there placidly observing Ishigawa. No emotion could be seen on his face. But neither was he poised as he was before, ready to dodge another series of Ishigawa's attacks.

Sensing his opportunity, Ishigawa moved to strike down his former master, but suddenly was aware of a jarring, blinding pain. He looked down to find his own katana buried in his abdomen, his hand still on the hilt of the sword. Somehow, as Ishigawa's head was turned for just that brief instant, Sensei had moved - seemingly faster than was humanly possible - and impaled the lord of Satsuma with his own weapon.

Ishigawa collapsed to his knees, still gripping the hilt of the blade, trying to remove it from him, but unable to.

"It seems you will not rule Japan after all." Sensei observed calmly.

Ishigawa turned unbelieving eyes up toward his master.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Sensei grunted once, then folded his hands behind him and strolled over to Monkey Fist's tent.

* * *

Such was the nature of ancient warfare, however, that the enemy did not simply give up because their leaders were dead. Communication was commonly interrupted in battle, and so standing orders were always: fight to the death. Surrender was an option preferred somewhere below committing ritual suicide.

So Ishigawa's army fought on, not knowing their leader had lost his life; some of them unaware that a second army had attacked from the south. Ishigawa's generals continued to attempt to give orders as best they could, but it was difficult since something had apparently happened to Ishigawa's signal bearers who were supposed to be stationed near the central encampment. There were signals coming from the central encampment, but they were unrecognizable.

The Imperial signal bearers had gotten confused and followed the Shogunate Guard as they fought their way to Kintaro's position. But Kintaro realized that somewhere out there was the Emperor, and even combined, Hidesato and the Emperor's forces were still outnumbered almost two to one.

Kintaro ordered the signal bearers to take station atop the crumbled remains of the Stone Guardian.

"I want to know exactly where the Imperial banners are," Kintaro told the chief signal bearer, "Then tell them to remain where they are. We will come to them. Their orders are to protect the Emperor at all costs."

"Understood." The chief signal bearer bowed low and immediately began to relay the orders to his subordinates.

Kintaro tried to compose this thoughts. Most of the forces he now commanded were on the far side of the valley, and his father's army was busy engaging Ishigawa's army to the north of the castle, not to mention the fact they were likely fatigued from the siege. He needed a clear the way from the central encampment to the emperor.

He turned to Kim.

* * *

Ron, with TJ on his left and Kimono on his right, charged through the ring of Stone Gorillas and into the seething mass of enemy warriors.

Kintaro had shown them the location of the Imperial Standard bearers and asked if they could clear a path to the Emperor.

Kim stayed behind. Ron had seen the familiar look in her eyes, smiled to himself, and plunged into battle flanked by his son and daughter-in-law.

TJ wielded the Cactus Blade, and immediately set about cutting a swath into the enemy soldiers. For the most part, he kept the Blade off the ground, not wanting to lose it in the turmoil of the battle. And while the Blade shattered stone, it had a different effect on living tissue. The enemy soldiers did not burst when struck with the Blade. However, the effect on them was like being front row/center to a sonic boom. Whenever the Blade made contact with an enemy, the concussion of noise would drive enemy soldiers back, killing those closest to the Blade by shattering and splintering bone and cartilage. Others felt the booming noise go through their heads, driving consciousness and sometimes life itself from them.

Ron, of course, had the Lotus Blade. Combined with his ninja skills, the enemy soon learned quickly this was not a warrior to be trifled with. Every time they saw an opening to strike, their slashing swords were suddenly blocked by a shield that had not been there before. And upon pulling back their blades, they would then be alarmed to discover an incoming attack from all manner of vicious weapons, many which they had never seen before. Often Ron would make use of the Lotus by transforming it into the Cactus Blade, or one of the Orchid Blades.

Kimono was in possession of both Orchid Blades, and was actually having difficulty wielding two swords at once. Alternately an arc of shadow would spread out followed by a bright arc of light, and though it would temporarily confuse the enemy, Kimono was having a hard time dispatching enemy soldiers.

Then she heard a voice behind her.

"Stoppable-san!"

* * *

"Go and fight." Kintaro ordered, "If not for yourself, then for me."

All kinds of self-pitying thoughts came into Yori's head. She tried to select which one to put into words.

"No." Kintaro ordered once more, "No self-pity. No weak-minded self-flagellation. You are a hero. You have redeemed yourself in my eyes. Now go and redeem yourself in the eyes of the others."

"But what if the others do not-?"

"What does that matter?" He demanded.

"You know," Kim said walking up to stand next to Kintaro, "I can see why you were so attracted to Ron. You two have the same flare for overdramatic self-pity."

"But I tried to-"

"Did he ever tell you I kicked his butt once? Smacked him around pretty good, too." Kim interrupted.

"No," Yori answered, "He did not."

"Of course he didn't," Kim mused, almost to herself, "That's my man. He's got a heart three sizes too big. One time I beat him up while under the influence of something called a Moodulator. And he never once held that against me."

"Moodulator?"

"I know about the Chronotheta Radiation. Go and fight; not to redeem yourself in my eyes but to get back some of your self-respect. And while my heart's not quite as big as Ron's, I'll try to follow his example." Kim said evenly, "Just… you know… don't try and steal him from me ever again."

"Then we are-?"

"Oh," Kim said warily, "I don't think you and I are OK by a long shot. But I'm willing to forego demanding the punishment you and I both know you deserve… like I said, I'm trying to follow his example."

"Kintaro-sama!" a messenger came running up to the entrance of the tent. "Signal from Hidesato-sama's standard bearer. They are being driven back toward the castle! They call for aid."

Kintaro strode purposefully toward the entrance to the pavilion, "Pull three units from our southernmost position. Have them re-deployed to Hidesato's forces. Tell them to circumnavigate the castle to the west and engage the enemy from that side. In fact, let's increase that to five units."

"Yori," Kim began, "Maybe you could-"

She was gone.

Kim turned to Kintaro, "I think I may be able to help you."

* * *

"Dad?" Kimono called out to Ron.

Ron quickly glanced over at her, then nodded without saying a word.

Kimono rapidly took several steps back and held up the Black Orchid Blade. It sailed out of her grasp and into Yori's waiting fist.

Yori didn't hesitate, but in fact set to work with grim determination. She charged the enemy line, waving the Blade before her. Her opponents saw only shadow in front of them, then practically squealed in terror as the woman emerged from it in an entirely different location than they were expecting. Yori did this again and again; allowing the shadow to dissipate, fighting without using the powers of the Orchid Blade for a short while, then shrouding herself, relocating, and charging forth from a position they could not see.

Soon, the shadow did not dissipate at all. Whatever dark and angry thoughts Yori was exorcising, they seemed to manifest themselves in a black maw that slowly began to spread across the battlefield in front of her. The last thing many of Ishigawa's soldiers experienced was confusion, as they stumbled about in darkness, then were set upon by a woman who came out of the blackness at them with an unbridled fury. She would disappear into the darkness once more as their life poured from them.

Kimono soon began to inflict the most damage upon the enemy out of all of them. At first, she slashed at the enemy with the White Orchid Blade. An arc of light would spread out before her, temporarily blinding the enemy. She would manage to dispatch three or four of them before they began to regain their sight.

Then, in a moment when a group of enemy warriors charged at her, she panicked and slashed the Blade in front of her. Only this time, in her panic, her power flared up. Instead of blinding white light, an arc of turquoise energy exploded from the Blade and spread outward. Though they were not struck blind, the enemy were driven back by the force of her power. Huge arcs of warriors were pushed violently backward, crashing into their comrades, and either inadvertently killing, or seriously wounding them with their weapons.

Kimono stood stunned for an instant, then blazed up her power again, swinging the White Orchid Blade. A turquoise energy band rumbled forth and drove through the enemy ranks like a mystical snowplow. Enemy warriors were crushed against each other, or killed their comrades in a panic to escape the wave of deadly blue/green energy.

Like a flame brought to the edge of a piece of paper, Yori and the Stoppables began to hew a swath that spread southward through the ranks of Ishigawa's army.

Then, a roar in the sky. Something appeared above them.

* * *

Kim stood inside the protective ring of the Shogunate Samurai, her eyes half-closed as if in a trance. She raised the Magnolia Blades above her head and crossed them in an 'X' formation. A rumble began to build, a crescendo of roaring like a typhoon wind thundering through the rafters of an old house. The Magnolia Blades sailed from Kim's grasp and flew out over the Idzumo Valley. As they flew, they began to lose solid cohesion, dissipating in a swirling, misty apparition that resembled the long, wide petals of the magnolia flower. Larger and larger it grew until its petals stretched across the breadth and width of the valley, all the while the accompanying roar grew louder and louder until it drowned out the sounds of the battle itself.

Then, for an instant, all sound ceased abruptly, as though it were being sucked out of the air. The gigantic blossom plunged downward, and a sparkling, glittery sort of mist began to swirl in among the soldiers throughout the valley and around the castle.

In the space of a few seconds, some fifty-eight thousand soldiers of the combined forces of Hidesato and the Emperor became the most expert and knowledgeable fighters on the face of the Earth. Weaknesses were discovered and exploited, new maneuvers were invented, revolutionary new tactics were employed.

Near the castle, a newly inspired Masaharu ordered a third of his units to pull back. Dividing the other two thirds in half, he began rotating units off the line in order to give them rest. Every quarter hour, he would order the rotation of another third of his units off the line, while the rested units re-engaged the enemy. Each freshly rested wave that rejoined the battle fought with renewed energy and enthusiasm, while Ishigawa's troops became increasingly exhausted.

At the southern end of the valley, the Emperor ordered his forces organized into three separate wedge formations, then set them to a constant charge. One wedge formation would charge the enemy and engage, but leave enough space for others to get through. While they were fighting, a second wedge formation charged through the spaces of the first, driving the enemy further back, then the third wedge formation would charge and again drive the enemy back while the first formation was withdrawn, reorganized, and sent charging in once more. Ishigawa's troops did not have time to regroup and prepare for each charge, as they were too busy engaging the previous formations.

The Zuijen began firing double and triple rounds of arrows. Three arrows would launch from one Zuijen bow, and each would find a separate target. Several Zuijen began launching arrows high into the air and hitting targets across the valley. After a time, some of them even resorted to showing off, putting the bow behind their backs and firing, or turning around and firing backward. One ambitious Zuijen archer sat on the ground, extended two bows with his feet, and launched six simultaneous arrows at the enemy. Five of them found their targets.

Warriors were able to size up their opponents in a matter of seconds and exploit their weaknesses. Blades found their way into cracks in armor, or past maneuvers previously believed to be without counterattack. Suddenly, every single one of Hidesato and the Emperor's soldiers were expert, efficient fighting machines.

In the space of an hour, one hundred thousand troops had been reduced by just over half.

In the end, it was Kimono who broke through the last of the enemy forces between Kintaro and Emperor Kotei. The Emperor directed his daimyo to order a series of feinting charges northward along Ishigawa's line and rode hard for the central encampment.

Ron and his companions returned to the central encampment behind the Emperor, protecting his flank, though it was rapidly becoming clear they did not need to. Ishigawa's soldiers were being mowed down like ripened grain at harvest.

Upon arrival, the emperor ordered his standard to be lifted above the tent, and a horn to be winded.

Soon, word spread through Ishigawa's forces that the Emperor's flag was flying above the monkey demon's pavilion. Many began to surrender or fall on their own swords.

By early afternoon, the battle was over.

With the accompanying sound of a gale force wind, the massive petals of the Magnolia rose above the valley once more, withdrew into themselves, and soon formed the twin Blades again. They sailed through the air and into Kim's grasp.

A victory shout was raised by Hidesato's men, and picked up by the Emperor's army. It rang out across the Idzumo Valley.

The War of the Tempus Simia was over.

* * *

Ron, TJ and Kimono, exhausted but happy, came back into the central encampment with triumphant looks on their faces. Ron walked straight to his wife and planted a huge victory kiss on her lips, then refused to pull back when she became self-conscious. Kim gave up, threw her arms around Ron and returned his kiss with fervent passion while the armies continued to cheer all around them.

Kim broke the kiss long enough to say one thing, "You and I are going to have a talk about telling your wife of your crazy 'surrender to the enemy' plans before she participates in them."

Ron grinned back at her sheepishly, "What can I say? Sometimes I'm just a bad boy… maybe I need a little discipline."

They kissed each other again.

Caught up in the heady rush of victory, TJ took his wife in his arms and kissed her as well. To his relief, Kimono didn't fight it, but rather returned his affection in kind, not caring who was looking or what they might think.

Shego came out of the tent and tapped Ron on the shoulder, "Spankable! When you're done making out with the Princess, Drew could use some attending to."

Ron didn't even break the kiss, but threw Shego a couple of dismissive waves and continued with his amorous activity.

Kintaro grinned at the kissing couples and walked over to Yori, who stood quietly by with her hands folded in front of her.

"Do all from your world engage in such vulgar displays?" Kintaro asked her quietly.

"Some do," She allowed, "I am afraid I do not."

"With such a swollen jaw, I doubt you will be in a position to engage in such an activity for some time," He said with his boyish grin, then lowered his voice and looked into her eyes, "You have done well, my Oto Hime."

Yori blushed deeply and lowered her eyes. For the first time in many days, she smiled, and a shy smile it was. Despite the fact that her looks had been damaged somewhat by Kim, the Shogun of Japan had just called her his Luminous Jewel.

There were no voices any more; no confusion, no tenuous grasp of sanity. Yori felt much sorrow and regret for what had happened. And though she dreaded it, she was willing to return to her proper time and face Sensei's inevitable wrath. But even with all that, Yori felt she had literally been to the edge of the abyss, and just managed to pull back before going over. For years to come she would wonder what exactly it meant that both she and the universe were on the verge of complete destruction, yet somehow managed to pull each other back from the brink at the last possible second.

An exhausted Hidesato and Masaharu rode into camp to the renewed shouting of the armies. Both warriors dismounted and came before the emperor, bowing low. Hidesato bowed with some difficulty, as he was still recovering from his wound. Kotei commanded them to rise, then bestowed upon them a rare honor, given out only a few times in Japanese history. He proclaimed them heroes of the Imperial Court. They would be among a select few, including Kintaro, who would not have to address the Emperor with terms of near-worship. Only those three men would ever call the Emperor 'Kotei-san', while everyone else was required to address him as 'Kotei-sama'; those that were allowed to address him at all, that is.

Then, to his horror, Kintaro found his father and Masaharu bowing low before him.

"Please…" He stammered, "Do not bow to me… I cannot…"

"Do not take your office so lightly!" Kotei said sternly to his Shogun, "As Shogun, you are receiving the fealty of the lord of the Mutsu Province."

"It is your duty to receive our tribute," Hidesato said quietly to his son as he bowed.

"Would you be comfortable if your father bowed to you?" Kintaro asked his father.

"Of course not!" Hidesato allowed himself a slight smile as he looked proudly up at his son, "That is the burden for a Shogun to bear."

Kintaro narrowed his eyes, "You are enjoying my discomfort, aren't you?"

"Very much, Kintaro-sama." Hidesato teased.

"Stop that!" Kintaro hissed, then his attention was drawn elsewhere, "What are they doing here?"

Hidesato straightened up and followed his son's gaze. The Drakkenites came to the edge of the camp, looking distressed and forlorn.

"Ah," Hidesato said, "There is a rumor that Ryu was injured."

"Oh," Kintaro said, raising his eyebrows, "He is within the tent. Come and see for yourself."

While the Emperor was ordering his forces to begin dealing with those of Ishigawa's forces left alive (as a boon granted later at Kim's request, they were put on ships and exiled to China, rather than summarily executed as protocol dictated), Kintaro, Hidesato, and Masaharu entered the tent where Kim was already making a splint for Drakken's arm. Kimono and her mother were close by, assisting Kim with whatever she needed.

"The arm is broken," Kim informed Hidesato, "But he will live."

Hidesato nodded and leaned over to look Drakken in the face, "YOUR FLYING MACHINE WAS MOST IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS."

Masaharu sighed and rolled his eyes, "Broken arm, my lord, not loss of hearing."

They began exiting the tent.

"How would you like it if I sent you on a forced march to Satsuma?" Hidesato glared at his old friend.

"That is not disagreeable," Masaharu said lightly, "I understand Satsuma is in need of a new provincial lord."

"You think you are all things honorable," Hidesato growled, "But you are not."

They emerged from the tent. Hidesato walked over to the Drakkenites.

"His arm is broken, but he will live," The lord of Mutsu informed them.

To a man, the Drakkenites clenched their fists, threw their heads skyward, and laughed maniacally.

Hidesato watched them for a few seconds, then walked away shaking his head. Strange days had descended upon his province of late.

In the mean time, Ron had quietly asked Yori to join him and Sensei just outside the tent. Ron had gathered all of the Ohana Blades together, including the Magnolia Blades from Kim, and brought them to the master of Yamanuchi.

Yori had a very difficult time looking Sensei in the eye, though she realized he did not know her very well. Then with dread she realized the first impression Sensei would ever have of her was as a traitor.

_He must have known all of this when he took me in as a child, _Yori thought, _Why did he never tell me what would become of me?_

Before they reached Sensei, Yori took Ron's arm and pulled him to a halt.

"Stoppable-san." she said quietly

Ron half smiled, "After all we've been through, you're not calling me Ron anymore?"

"No," She said firmly, "I am not. I will never address you by your first name again. I do this as a sign of respect for you and your wife."

Ron said nothing, but nodded.

"I know I have no right to ask," Yori went on, "But I am asking your forgiveness for what I have done. I know a simple apology will not make things right, and I have no right to expect forgiveness from you-"

"Well no," Ron agreed, "Of course you don't. That's what forgiveness is, something no one has a right to expect. Forgiveness is something no one deserves, and we are all blessed when it's given to us. And since you're asking for it, then I will give it to you."

Yori's eyes began to brim with tears.

"You know the only way you could have gotten me away from Kim was by pretending to be her. She's my soulmate; the only one I was ever meant to be with." Ron said plainly, "But from what I understand, you could have let the whole universe just vanish from existence. You saved us all. In addition, I believe you regret your actions. I have no right to hold anything over your head."

And that was the last time Ron ever talked to Yori about what she'd done.

They walked over to Sensei who said a few quiet words to Yori to pass along to Ron.

"Sensei says he is sorry for not realizing the Ohana Wraith only saw him as its master. Perhaps much could have been avoided if he had come to this conclusion long ago." Yori relayed.

"Tell him not to apologize for something he didn't know." Ron replied.

* * *

_Do not apologize for that which you did not know._

Sensei could barely believe his ears. Who was this young outworlder? He claimed to know Sensei in the future, but truly they must be very close friends; perhaps as close as brothers.

Those same words had been uttered by Tanaka so many years before, and it was an echo of his dead master that he heard after inadvertently sending the Ohana Wraith to destroy the school near Osaka.

Sensei suddenly felt a close kinship with the yellow-haired warrior. He would never forget the words Ron had just said to him; words of absolution that had been bestowed upon him by his master more than a hundred years before.

Nor would he forget Ron himself.

"Stoppable-san wishes to call forth the Ohana Wraith," The young woman was saying to him.

"For what purpose?" Sensei asked.

He watched as she spoke to the young warrior.

"He says he would rather wait until the Wraith is called forth." The young woman replied.

To anyone else, Sensei would have emphatically said 'no'. But Ron had just earned his complete trust.

Sensei took the Ohana Blades and arranged them once more in the Chinese symbol for 'monkey'. Soon, to the astonishment of everyone in the valley, the giant gorilla was standing in the central encampment once more.

_What is thy bidding?_

Sensei looked to Ron and waited. Yori passed along the translation. Sensei asked her to reconfirm just exactly what Stoppable-san was asking of him. She did so, and passed it along to him once more.

_What is thy bidding?_

'Destroy the Cactus, Magnolia, and Orchid Blades. Leave only the chief Ohana Blade – the Lotus – intact.'

_Why is this to be done?_

'So that no one may call forth your destructive powers again.'

The behemoth gorilla turned its face skyward. Sensei heard it say one final thing.

_Sweet oblivion._

The gorilla burst into a gigantic swirling vision. In a twisting vortex of imagery, the apparitions of a giant green cactus, a massive pink and white magnolia blossom, an enormous Black Orchid, and a gigantic Turquoise Orchid all sailed skyward and exploded like monstrous fireworks, filling the sky from horizon to horizon, while the earth shook and rumbled.

Then all was still.

The Lotus Blade stood protruding from the ground a few feet from Sensei. Ron held up his hand, but it did not go to him. Instead, it sailed to the Master of Yamanuchi. Sensei noted a look of brief disappointment on Ron's face, then wondered as the young warrior smiled in realization.

"What does he smile about?" Sensei asked Yori.

Yori spoke with Ron, then seemed to nod knowingly, "Stoppable–san says the Blades choose who they will. The Lotus Blade did not choose Monkey Fist that day Mutsu Castle was captured because it is evil, or susceptible to anyone with the mystical monkey power; he says the Lotus chose to go with Monkey Fist because it knew Stoppable-san would go after it, and draw him near the Tempus Simia."

"Ah," Sensei said with great wonderment at such wisdom, "So eventually the Ohana Blades all made their way to the monkey demon because they were drawing the warriors to him, and to his talisman. And once they were all in Monkey Fist's possession, we came in and called forth the Ohana Wraith. Interesting."

None of them said anything for a couple of minutes. Sensei seemed to be dwelling on what Ron had just said. Ron and Yori stood by patiently to see if he would say anything further.

Presently, an old man with a tablet and a writing utensil came and asked Yori a question. She, in turn, passed it along to Ron.

"This man holds the position of Imperial Observer. It is his job to record historical events and preserve them at the palace of records in Osaka. He is documenting the events of this war and wishes to know our names, including yours and Kim's. Should we tell him that we are here from another time, or should we tell him something else?"

Ron looked at her, and to her surprise, he was smiling and almost mischievous smile.

* * *

In 1971, Author/Historian Sakka Rikishi published a book entitled "Japanese History and Myth: From the Popular to the Obscure". Chapter Four contains the following passage.

_Not much is known about the feudal period prior to the Western Calendar year Seven Hundred A.D. However, it is known that Japan experienced a series of large-scale civil wars in the three or four hundred years leading up to the aforementioned date; all of which were feudal conflicts involving various provincial lords who battled for the position of Imperial Shogun. Though there were many Shoguns from many different provinces in that three hundred year period, the line of Emperors was unbroken going all the way back to Emperor Kotei who came to the throne around the year Four Hundred A.D._

_There is an historical footnote involving Emperor Kotei that might be of interest to some Western Scholars. In 1946 eminent archeologist Dr. Henry Jones Jr. and United States Army Intelligence Officer Marion Zimmer Possible claimed to have discovered a set of tablets dating from the time of Emperor Kotei which documented a war that took place right around the time Kotei's reign began. _

_The tablets told of a Roman Centurion named Ronaldus, and his wife, an Irish Princess named Kimarrah, who battled a half-man/half-monkey for control of a magic talisman described as an idol in the shape of a simian. The tale goes on to describe such wild flights of fancy as warrior women who could shoot green fire from their hands; a blue-skinned man who built flying machines and wagons that launched arrows; a woman with orange hair named "Child Of Thunder" who wielded a sword with magic properties, and who single-handedly defeated an army of one hundred thousand soldiers._

_Wild tales aside, it has never been established that the Roman Empire made contact with Japan in those days, or even sent explorers out that far. In addition, it is very unlikely an Irish Princess would be involved in a feudal war in ancient Japan._

_The discovery was widely regarded as a hoax, and served to further damage the formerly much-respected reputation of Dr. Jones who once reportedly claimed to have discovered the Ark of the Covenant (and subsequently claimed the U.S. Government had taken possession of it and hidden it away), and to have found the legendary Holy Grail and even took a drink from it. _

_Though the tale itself borders on the ludicrous, the tablets have since been authenticated as dating roughly from the time period described. The most popular theory is that Dr. Jones found blank tablets and fabricated the story in an attempt to gain some notoriety, or perhaps regain his former respectability. _

_This particular theory is often the subject of much debate within the archeological community, and Dr. Jones himself has refused to discuss the matter with anyone. _

_Other theories point to the possibility that the tablets were used as a part of…_

* * *

For the next three days, Kotei's forces were busy mopping up the Idzumo Valley; collecting weapons, disposing of bodies, and marching the prisoners out to the coast to await their exile.

Hidesato offered his army to assist in the effort, but Kotei ordered that they should rest, as his warriors were only fatigued from one battle, while his had been almost constantly engaged since the day Ishigawa marched his forces across the Mutsu border.

Kim had a long conversation with Drakken that evening about what had happened to the timeline. After listening to a detailed description of what happened in the void, Drakken theorized that had the Tempus Simia been destroyed, the vortex would have opened up and simply pulled in anyone who didn't belong in that particular timeline, which as it happened, was Yori. But Drakken also theorized that Yori would have simply emerged at the other end of the vortex into the same void, because it was Monkey Fist's timeline displacement that caused the collapse in the first place.

But, since Monkey Fist was the one who placed the head of the Tempus Simia on the body in the temple in Africa, then removing the head pulled the cosmic tether taught. Monkey Fist was apparently still attached to that tether, thus he was pulled back into existence, then pushed through the vortex and into his proper place in the timeline.

"In fact," Drakken explained, "Monkey Fist is traveling through the vortex as we speak, and will be for the next fifteen hundred years, but to him it will seem like an instant."

"How was the tether still attached to him if he blinked out of existence?"

Drakken shrugged his shoulders, "That's quite the head scratcher. Clearly he went somewhere if the tether was still attached, but I've got no plausible theories on that one."

"What about us?" Kim asked, "Will we pull apart the timeline because we're out of place in it?"

"Not if we use the method of travel you used to get here." Drakken answered.

"Sensei's room up in the cliff?"

"Right. Best guess: this room you described has some sort of properties that allow it to exist simultaneously inside as well as outside the timeline. By traveling back to your time in that room, our energy signatures will exist within the next fifteen hundred years, which means we won't cause another collapse of the continuum."

"OK," Kim said nodding, "I got one more question and I'll let you rest."

"You're wondering why we're only conscious of the timeline's collapse during the battle. If the whole timeline collapsed and then restored, we should be aware of it every day, right?"

"Right." Kim confirmed.

"My only guess is that the timeline collapsed and restored at the point where each separate section is connected."

"You mean the railway car couplings."

"Yes. It's a weak supposition, but I would guess that these points are the only places we would be conscious of the collapse and restoration, and the battle today was one of those connection points. I know it leads to a thousand other questions, but I just don't have answers to them. Sorry."

"No big," Kim said lightly, "As long as the timeline's restored. That's all that matters."

"Indeed."

Hidesato declared that a victory celebration would take place on the fourth night after the battle, and asked the Stoppables and Drakkens to stay at least that long.

So they agreed, and the Stoppables decided they would use that three days to finally lay Ronnie-Anne to rest. They loaded her body on a wagon, journeyed up to Mukashi's home, and buried their beloved Veronica in the garden next to the old warrior.

Since Kintaro had been to Mukashi's home once or twice as a child, he served as their guide on the journey, and Sensei accompanied them so that he might pay his respects to his old friend. Yori went along as well, at Kintaro's request, but would not go unless the Stoppable's were agreeable to her being there.

Along the way, Kintaro asked if she might stay in ancient Japan and become the wife of a Shogun. Yori reluctantly told him that she needed to return to her own world and face the consequences of what she had done. It was with great sadness that Yori realized she had fallen in love with Kintaro at last. He had believed in her, never given up on her, and he loved her unconditionally. Not only was she breaking his heart, but her own as well. Yori decided it was yet another punishment for what she'd done, and this was somehow worse than execution or prison. She would soon be fifteen hundred years away from someone who loved her, and someone she had come to love in return.

Kintaro, of course, was escorted by the Imperial Shogunate Guard, and offered to have them dig the grave. But Ron politely declined. He and TJ dug Veronica's grave, and gently, with many tears, laid her to rest in it. Sensei said a few words over Ronnie-Anne, while Kim and her daughter-in-law clung to each other, consoling one another through tears of deepest grief.

Sensei also took time to say a few words for his friend Mukashi.

Kintaro and Yori stood next to each other and maintained a respectable silence. Afterward, Kintaro remarked to Yori how much he liked Mukashi's remote residence. Yori silently agreed, the lonely simplicity of the place reminded her of Yamanuchi, and she felt she could be very happy in a home like this.

And though she had already told Kintaro she could not be with him, Yori did not simply leave him alone after that. It was emotionally difficult to spend time with him, but Yori did not want to simply break off their friendship and leave him to his lonely position as Shogun; at least not as long as she was in ancient Japan. She spent many hours talking and listening attentively to him; laughing at his jokes (which she genuinely found to be funny) and complimenting him on his handling of Kotei's forces. She answered all of his questions, including some very personal ones about what went through her mind in the void when they attempted to destroy the Tempus Simia. Kintaro accepted all that she told him without comment or judgment. Yori noted the sadness that hung about him, and believed her gentle declination of him was beginning to sink in.

Yori sadly wished she was already back in her proper time.

The party spent only one night at Mukashi's. A large pavilion had been brought for Kintaro, and his samurai took shifts standing guard outside it while he slept. Yori also slept in the pavilion, though they did not sleep in the same bed. Ron and Kim stayed in the rear stall of the tiny barn, while TJ and Kimono slept outside on the ground under the stars, as did Sensei.

That night, Kim and Ron took solace and consolation in each others' arms, and by some act of ironic Fate, or an incredible happenstance, Veronica Anne Stoppable was conceived not far from where she had been laid to rest.

* * *

"So this is what beer tastes like?" Rufus took a tug on his bottle.

"Kind of hard to see what all the excitement is about, isn't it?" Wade sipped his own drink and looked around.

They were sitting at a sidewalk café in Wade's Paris simulation. Wade had just activated a program and sat, waiting with his friend. On the table in front of him was what looked like a dart gun.

"What's going to be done about Ron?" Rufus asked.

"Justine is going to complete work on her Quantum Disruptor and take some readings of the timeline. Then we'll figure out some way to get into the future and find him before he pulls the timeline apart." Wade explained.

"You think it'll succeed?"

"Actually, I do." Wade said firmly, "Justine took a reading this morning and we compared it with a reading from before the universe collapsed. The new readings are much more stable. If Ron is affecting the timeline, then he hasn't done anything to it yet. But Justine thinks that if Ron did come back into the timeline only ten years after his death, then there wouldn't be enough of a gap between his energy signatures to collapse the continuum."

"Which means Apollyon was wrong about that."

"Yeah, in fact Justine believes you could exist as much as fifty years away from your original energy signature and not cause any instability to the physical construct of the timeline." Wade explained.

"Interesting."

"In fact, she thi-… woops! Here comes company!"

Apollyon came stomping up to their table and stood waiting, he had a look of rage and strain on his face, very likely due to the fact that the program Wade activated had caused him to involuntarily seek them out and stand before them whether he wanted to or not."

"What is the meaning of this? What's going on?" He shouted.

"Calm yourself," Rufus trained one of his shotguns on Apollyon.

The artificial mind that looked like Ray Beam quieted down.

"I managed to locate your artificial brain, but I can't for the life of me hack into it," Wade explained calmly.

A sneer erupted on Apollyon's face, "So the great computer genius is not so genius after all."

Wade regarded Apollyon with abject contempt. Casually he picked up the dart gun, aimed, and fired. The dart buried itself into Apollyon's abdomen, then disappeared. Wade pushed a button, deactivating the program that had brought Apollyon to them.

"You can go now," Wade said with a dismissive wave.

"What is that, what did you do to me?" Apollyon demanded, the fear in his voice palpable.

"Virus." Wade said simply.

"I've got every kind of virus protection there is!" Apollyon jeered, "You really are stupid, aren't you?

"OK," Wade said easily, "What I did was write a program that changes the requirements of your power regulator. Right now your power-regulation subroutine is being re-written to indicate that your electrical needs are several million times more than what they actually are. To compensate, your power regulator is now drawing in as much electricity as it possibly can."

Apollyon stared at him blankly.

"I can't just shut down your artificial mind. Someone could find it and reboot you." Wade explained, "Your hardware needs to be destroyed. I bet you don't have that kind of surge protection."

"You're going to fry." Rufus said with contempt.

Soon, Apollyon was screaming. He tore at himself as if he were trying to get to something horrible that was going on within him. He shrieked in pure pain and terror, collapsed to the ground, and writhed uncontrollably.

Several minutes later, he lay still, and disappeared.

Apollyon had been thrown into the abyss.

* * *

It was a warm evening. Lanterns lit up the eastern wall of the castle and dotted the hillside. A grand viewing pavilion had been set up for the Emperor, his Shogun, the lord of Mutsu, and the Outworlders, that faced the castled itself. Just this side of the pond, to the right of the bridge, a stage had been constructed.

The feast began in the late afternoon, not long after The Stoppables and their companions returned from the home of Mukashi. Shego was glad to see them and glad to have some company. She had stayed at the castle to keep Drew company, but he wound up secluding himself with the Drakkenites and had not come out in three days.

Upon hearing this news, Ron and Kim gave each other a look. What could he be working on now that the war was over? Did he suddenly have his own plans to conquer ancient Japan?

Even when the feast began, Drakken did not come out of the castle to attend. Shego and Kimono spent most of the afternoon talking to each other, while TJ hung out with his parents. Both of them knew their time with their respective parents was growing short, and wanted to spend it with them as much as possible. It's not often a child gets to spend time with his parents when they're the same age.

The armies were camped in the Idzumo Valley and came up over the hill to sit upon the slope, and view the proceedings.

The feast was magnificent. All manner of roast venison, pheasant, fish and game hens were served with rice, grains, dumplings with many different kinds of sauces, and there were fruits, some strange and exotic that the Stoppables had never seen or heard of. Shego guessed they were varieties of fruit that had probably died out or disappeared in the fifteen hundred years between their time and this.

There were dozens of different types of rice wine, served at different temperatures for different courses throughout the meal.

As the sun fell into the west, lanterns were lit and strung up all across the hillside, and many were set up on the stage. Into the third course of the feast, performers began to entertain the Imperial party and the armies.

There were acrobats, and jugglers as well as theatrical performances in both Kabuki and Noh styles. Musicians performed and sang ancient songs of battles long past, and heroes almost forgotten.

Though all the performances were magnificent, there were three very memorable highlights during the course of the evening.

The first was a performance of an ancient battle song by none other than Hidesato and Masaharu. To Kintaro's utter astonishment, the old lord and his daimyo sang of an ancient warrior and his son who battled a great dragon that had come across the sea from China and sought to devour all of Japan. For many weeks they fought the great beast, but were never able to overpower it. Finally, on a stormy night while the thunder rolled and the lightening flashed, the father was struck down by the dragon. But as this happened, one of the Dragon's great claws broke off and remained with the body of the father. The son was greatly distressed, and threw away his sword, taking up the dragon's claw and continuing on with the battle. Shortly, the beast was slain, and the son stood triumphant over the body of the dragon. Then, in grief and despair, he buried his father near the place where the dragon had been felled, and drove the claw into the ground to mark the spot where his father lay.

When they reached the final verse of the song, Masaharu fell silent and Hidesato sang alone of how the spirit of the father looked down with great pride upon his son. This he sang while gazing up at the viewing pavilion; at Kintaro, never once taking his eyes off of him.

It is a matter of pride that great warriors in ancient Japan did not become emotional, or express feelings that might indicate some weakness on the warrior's part. But while Hidesato felt he could not tell his son how he truly felt about him, Kintaro came to realize that his father had just told more than fifty thousand warriors how proud he was of him. Kintaro did his best to keep his emotions in check; such a display would have embarrassed him, his father, and the emperor. Yori quietly slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. Kintaro found the strength to remain placid and calm, though inside he was practically weeping in gratitude at his father's gesture. He never forgot that night.

Highlight number two was the performance of a musician. He was dressed entirely in black, and carried his own stringed instrument. A nearby group of musicians struck up a lively beat while the man introduced himself.

"Hello, my name is Tsu Yen."

Murmers drifted across the hillside.

"I don't understand," Kim turned to Yori, "What is everyone whispering about?"

"'Tsu' is a Chinese name. The people of ancient Japan do not think very highly of anyone from China." Yori answered

Tsu Yen began singing, and soon all those on the hillside were laughing boisterously. Yori and Kim translated for the benefit of the others.

_**My father left home when I was just three,**_

_**And he did not leave much to my mother and me,**_

_**Just a rusty katana and an empty container of yu.**_

_**I do not blame him because he fled and hid,**_

_**But the most dishonorable thing he ever did**_

_**Was, before he left, he went and named me 'Tsu'.**_

Laughter rolled across the hillside.

_**Now he must have thought this quite amusing**_

_**To give me a name of such ill choosing**_

_**It seems I had to fight my whole life through.**_

_**Some woman would giggle and I'd feel disgraced,**_

_**Or some man would laugh and I'd smite his face,**_

_**It is certain that life is not easy for a boy named 'Tsu.'**_

Again, more laughter.

_**I had to grow up fast, and grow up strong**_

_**My sword became quick, my list of kills was long,**_

_**I roamed from province to province to hide my shame.**_

_**So I made a vow to the gods and the stars**_

_**That I'd search every town both near and far**_

_**And kill the dishonorable man who gave me that name.**_

Laughter rippled across the hillside once more.

_**Then one day near Yokohama**_

_**I found the man who had left my mama**_

_**The dishonorable dog who was cause to all my pain**_

_**I challenged him to a duel that day**_

_**And soon upon the ground he lay. **_

_**The man who named me 'Tsu' at last was slain.**_

Cheers and laughter erupted from the armies as Tsu Yen finished his performance, bowed low and exited. The Stoppables clapped politely but weren't entirely sure of the humor in the song. They began talking quietly to each other when the musicians struck up another song.

This particular tune, however, was not done in the Japanese style of minor chords and slightly off tone strings. It had a strange western feel to it, and there was something hauntingly familiar about the melody.

As they pondered this, Drew and the Drakkenites quietly walked up on the stage. The Drakkenites stood in a large semi-circle, dressed in their blue kimonos with black belts, while Drew stood in the center. The Drakkenites began to hum, harmonizing with the musicians and the oddly familiar song they were playing. Drew stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and began to sing:

_**I'm going through a tunnel, stuck in a canyon, **_

_**In an elevator, do you even listen? **_

_**No.**_

_**No, no, no. No, no, no.**_

_**Whoa Whoa.**_

And then, the Drakkenites began singing in perfect harmony.

_**HERRO, HERRO, HERRO**_

_**CAN YOU HEE ME NOW**_

_**GOT TO STAY CONNECTED**_

_**GOT TO GET THOO SOMEHOOOOOW**_

_**HERRO, HERRO, HERRO**_

_**HERRO…**_

Drakken sang solo once more:

_**My phone is losing signal**_

_**Got a low battery**_

_**But do I want to listen**_

_**To all your shallow flattery?**_

_**No.**_

_**No, no, no. No, no, no.**_

_**Whoa Whoa**_

And the Drakkenites sang once more.

_**HERRO, HERRO, HERRO**_

_**CAN YOU HEE ME NOW**_

_**GOT TO STAY CONNECTED**_

_**GOT TO GET THOO SOMEHOOOOW**_

_**HERRO, HERRO, HERRO**_

_**HERROOOOOOOOOOO!**_

And the song was over.

A roar erupted from the hillside as the armies went ballistic. Even Kotei and Kintaro were on their feet clapping enthusiastically. The bedlam was deafening, and went on for a good five minutes before everyone calmed down. The Emperor asked for the performance once more.

The Stoppables, with jaws hanging on the ground throughout the first performance, soon began trying to stifle laughter, to the point where Kim , TJ and Ron were shedding tears from laughing so hard and trying to hide it.

Once again, the armies raised such a shout that their thunderous approval of the performance was even louder than the victory cry after the battle several days before. Drew and the Drakkenites bowed low then faced each other, bowed, and laughed manically in celebration of a successful performance.

"Unbelievable," Ron said, wiping tears while laughter continued to escape him, "Dr. Drakken has given the first karaoke performance in the history of Japan."

The celebration lasted well into the night.

The following morning, a large caravan was assembled and ready to leave. Kintaro would be accompanying the Emperor back to Osaka and living in the Shogun's palace, serving as the Emperor's right hand in the rule of Japan. Kintaro tried to convince Kotei that Hidesato deserved the position, but the lord of Mutsu would not hear of it.

"Mutsu is my home," He told his son, "And it always will be."

"I consider it my greatest honor that I am your son," Kintaro said with a bow.

His father said nothing, though his eyes glistened. He returned the bow as a show of silent love and respect.

The Stoppables paid their respects to Hidesato before mounting horses provided by the Emperor, and Sensei gave a few parting words to the lord of Mutsu, his old pupil. Shego and Drakken rode in a wagon, while Yori rode beside Kintaro.

Ron watched with longing as the Lotus Blade was placed in a ceremonial wooden case, then put in a large chest inside a wagon that was reserved solely for carrying the last of the Ohana Blades back to its proper home.

At last, the great procession began moving diagonally up the slope, heading southward. The armies parted and stood on either side of an impromptu pathway, cheering and shouting the praises of Japan's newest heroes.

The Drakkenites stood atop the castle wall and shouted "RYUUUU" until long after the procession had disappeared over the ridge.

* * *

"Hello, Wade? It's Agent Berman. How are you?… uh huh… I'm fine, thanks. We've arrived at the African temple per your directive and found something you might be interested in… yeah… well, after a thorough search of the temple, we found only one person… Yep, it's him all right… No, actually he's dead… No, I'm not kidding… yes, checked his vitals twice… looks like the cause of death may have been a blow to the head with a heavy object. There's some severe bruising about the forehead… no, we didn't bring a mobile unit. We could bag him and… Sure, we can do that. Also, we found what looks like pieces of a statue… whoa, you're talking too loud and too fast. Repeat that, please?… 'Thoroughly destroyed', yes I'm underlining it as we speak. I've got a couple of tools that will pulverize those chunks into a fine powder… no, it's no problem. Is there anything you want us to do with the powder?… I'm just asking because you seem pretty adamant on the destruction of these… OK, great…yeah, we'll see you back at GJ… no, we'll take him directly to the morgue… not a problem. Talk to you soon."

* * *

The journey to the base of Mount Yamanuchi took five days to complete. Emperor Kotei offered to escort the party up to the school at the top of the mountain, but Sensei politely declined. It was time to end the ceremonial pomp and pageantry and let the Outworlders go home quietly. The Stoppables, The Drakkens, and Yori dismounted their horses. Kintaro led Yori off a little ways to say goodbye.

Yori's eyes brimmed with tears as she tried to find the proper words to express her gratitude. She tried not to dwell on the fact that she was once again being taken away from a man she had fallen in love with.

"Say it," Kintaro said quietly, "If you feel it. I would hear the words come from your lips at least once."

"I love you, Kintaro," she whispered. Tears began pouring down her cheeks.

"And I you," Kintaro replied quietly, "You will never leave my heart, my Oto Hime."

The Stoppables bade the Emperor farewell. Kotei dismounted his horse and bowed low to them all, thanking each of them quietly.

Until, that is, he got to Drakken.

"YOU HAVE THE GRATITUDE OF ALL OF JAPAN!" He bellowed at the startled blue man. Watching Hidesato, Kotei had surmised that the one called Ryu was hard of hearing.

"What's with these people?" Drakken whined to Shego, "Everyone here yells at me!"

"Everyone everywhere yells at you," Shego countered with a smirk.

They watched for a short time as the procession moved on. Kintaro turned in his saddle and drank in Yori's beauty one last time before turning his face toward Osaka and what would be his new palatial home.

The journey up the mountain was a quiet one. Everyone was filled with a sort of melancholy now that their adventure had come to an end. The world seemed quieter somehow, more peaceful.

"Not bad for your first mission back, KP." Ron whispered to his wife.

Kim looked at him and smiled warmly.

Soon, they reached the waterfall and crossed the bridge, then made their way through the front gates. The school was deserted.. Sensei, who was carrying the case with the Lotus Blade, went and put it in his living quarters. It was odd, this one remaining Ohana Blade almost looked out of place without its companions. But Sensei nodded to himself, appreciating the wisdom and foresight of Ron Stoppable. The Wraith was gone, and no one could call forth its destructive powers again.

Sensei then came back outside and led them to the base of the cliff. High up in the room, another Kim and another Yori were sitting, facing the wall, nearing the end of their journey back through time.

He turned and spoke to Kim.

Kim turned to the others, "Sensei says the nine of us should-"

She checked herself and turned back to Sensei, "'Kyu?'"

Sensei nodded and said a few words to Kim who turned back to them in a daze.

Yori gasped.

"He says I am with child." Kim said numbly.

Kimono also gasped.

"Veronica!" Ron whispered excitedly.

"Wouldn't that be eight?" TJ asked, confused.

"She is not the only one who is pregnant," Yori said quietly.

She had turned white as a sheet, fear and confusion played across her face.

"Kintaro?" Kim asked hopefully.

Yori merely shook her head.

Kim suddenly found that whatever anger she had toward Yori was now gone. Yori deserved some deference for her part in saving the universe, but she also had a whole new consequence to deal with because of what had happened. Either she would have to deal with the termination of a pregnancy, or bear the child of Monkey Fist. Kim found herself pitying the other woman.

"Sensei says we should say goodbye here, because we will not be able to in the room up on the cliff." Kim told the others.

Needless to say, the farewells were emotional ones. Kimono clung to her father and gave her mother a fierce bear hug. Shego returned it, shedding a few tears herself. Ron, Kim and TJ embraced each other in a group hug, telling each other how much they would be missed. TJ was especially emotional as he would soon return to a world without his father in it.

TJ then shook hands with Drakken while Kimono had an emotional parting with Ron and Kim. Both of Kimono's in-laws told her how glad they were she was a part of their family.

Soon, they were all climbing up the impossibly steep staircase. Drakken required some assistance as his arm was in a sling, but eventually they managed. Sensei led them inside and turned to the right. He did not order them to face the wall, but simply asked them to stay quiet so as not to startle or frighten the Kim and Yori that were on the other side of the chamber.

It was difficult for Yori to watch, and eventually she turned her head away. She wanted to shout to her other self and warn her of her impending betrayal, but realized it would probably sound garbled and backwards.

Yori also realized the answer to a question that had burned within her for days. She could not understand why the Sensei of her time had not told her or Kim about what would happen. Yori finally understood that if Sensei warned her of her treachery, she might avoid it altogether, and altered circumstances might not put her in a position to destroy the Tempus Simia. It was a balance too delicate for Sensei to meddle with, and Yori realized his withholding information was the correct course of action. Still, it saddened her to look at her other self across the chamber and realize what was in store for her.

Sensei bowed to them all and wished them a safe journey, then exited the room.

Soon, the room felt like the inside of a strobe light. They all looked at each other, marveling at the fact that time was rapidly advancing outside the room. Faster and faster the strobe effect continued, until it was blinking so fast, none of them could tell the difference between the light and the dark. The room was swathed in a fluctuating grayness.

Then, suddenly, a smiling face appeared among them.

* * *

For four years, Kintaro maintained order in Japan while the Emperor came of age. Several weeks after he parted company with Yori and the others, he and his samurai attacked the cave temple in Satsuma. The Dark Monk and his ninja followers put up some resistance, but were overpowered by the elite Samurai and their ninja/Shogun leader.

Kintaro had the entrance to the cave sealed and a marker posted forbidding anyone to enter the cave.

Those creatures in Monkey Fist's army that were not made of stone - the Kijo and remaining Monkey Dragons – had scattered when their master disappeared. Kintaro spent some time hunting them down until they were almost all wiped out. For several hundred years afterward, there were constant rumors of demon ape-like creatures in the woods, or dragons in the mountains.

Kintaro was also compelled to deal with one or two rebelling provincial lords who wanted the Shogunate for themselves. He was never once defeated in battle, and soon became known as the mightiest warrior in all of Japan.

Hidesato, meanwhile, never fully recovered from the wound he received at the battle to re-take Mutsu Castle. He lived for four years after the end of the war but finally died in his sleep one Autumn night.

Kintaro was devastated, and mourned for quite some time. The body of the old lord of Mutsu Province was taken by his son up to Mukashi's home and laid to rest next to Raitaro.

The Emperor, now twenty years old, gave Kintaro the option of relinquishing his position as Shogun and returning to Mutsu to be its lord. To his surprise, Kintaro accepted.

Kintaro was received warmly by Masaharu who pled an oath of fealty to his new master. Kintaro rejected the oath. Instead, in a ceremony witnessed by the entirety of Mutsu Castle's residents, Kintaro declared Masaharu the new lord of Mutsu province.

In all that four years, Kintaro was never able to get over Yori. He thought about her every day and wanted nothing other than to be with her. When his father died, Kintaro had no family left. There was only one thing in all of Japan that he wanted.

The day after installing Masaharu as the new lord of Mutsu, he bade his old friend goodbye and journeyed to Yamanuchi.

"I will follow her to her world, or any other." Kintaro said firmly to Sensei.

The master of Yamanuchi said nothing, and led Kintaro – who was now only a couple of years younger than Yori – up to the chamber on the cliff.

* * *

In an office building in Downtown Middleton, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

The second the last electrode was removed from Ron, a panel in the ceiling slid silently open and what was clearly a ray-emitting apparatus was lowered via mechanical arm.

Kim watched in horror as Ron was suddenly enveloped in the yellow glow of a gravimetric field and lifted from the chair.

A second, crimson-colored ray shot forth from the apparatus. A burst of reddish light accompanied a deep, pulsating explosive kind of sound. A visible, pale red shockwave emanated from the light-burst and spread out in all directions, knocking everyone off their feet. Kim was sent hurtling backwards and smacked painfully into the wall behind her, crumpling up in a heap on the floor. She struggled to lift her head, then summoned all her strength just to bring herself up to her knees.

A vortex opened in the air near the chair. Ron began floating toward it, faster and faster.

"RON! NO!" Kim cried out, she began to move toward the vortex. Wherever Ron was going, she was going with him.

The gravimetric field abruptly ceased and Ron sailed into the swirling crimson maelstrom.

And, like a TV turning off, the Vortex closed suddenly. Kim was in mid-dive when it closed. She was unable to prevent herself from smacking painfully against the far wall.

"RON!", she screamed.

For a split second, all was eerily silent.

Then the apparatus exploded into a billion tiny pieces. The explosion was accompanied by several louder, much more powerful explosions from somewhere beneath them, the floor of the building began to heave.

Kim found herself hauled to her feet by two powerful arms. Her mind blank, she was led, running down the hallway. But instead of running for the elevator, she was taken into one of the empty offices.

The window shattered as a grappling hook shot outward from the room. She looked numbly into the face of Wil Du as the floor beneath them lurched and fell away. Wil and Kim sailed through the window and out over the street as the building collapsed behind them. One more powerful explosion finished the job, and blew Kim and Wil into the building across the street.

Kim struggled to get to her feet, and stumbled over to where Wil Du lay, groaning in agony. He had broken his leg, and sustained a pretty bad cut or two, but he would be all right. Kim stood up and looked around in confusion. Dust from the collapsed building poured through the large space where the window had been.

The room had been filled almost to the ceiling with pillows and other cushions.

Just down the street, two shadowy figures crept around the back side of a building and met each other in the alley.

"I got the guards," Ron whispered, "I had to knock them out first, but I left them lying near the wreckage. You said those were the only two who were killed, right?"

"Right," Kim whispered back, "Them and Wil, and that was-…whoa!"

"What's wrong?"

"I have a memory of Wil surviving this now. He goes to the hospital with a broken leg. I go stay at my parents for the next two days until Sensei contacts me in my room and tells me to come to Yamanuchi. Wow, that is so weird! I remember having a memory of Wil dying and now I remember he was just injured."

"The timeline's already shifted because Wil wasn't killed." Ron said, doubt in his voice, "Are you sure it was a good idea to leave the cliff room early? Sensei warned us about interfering with events."

"I know, Ron, but I just couldn't sit by and let Wil die knowing I could do something about it." Kim explained.

"I understand." Ron said, "What happens next?"

"My other self goes to Yamanuchi the day after tomorrow. Presumably the timeline collapses soon after that."

"Well, since you're other self is going to go stay at your parents', I guess we can go home and wait there. Hope you don't mind being cooped up for a few days."

"Are you kidding? I can't wait to take a real shower. And I can think of a few things we can do while we're hiding out." Kim said seductively.

"Oh…really? We can do that? I thought since you were pregnant and all…"

"We can still do plenty of that, even when I'm pregnant." Kim explained patiently.

"Booyah!"

* * *

It was the early part of the twenty-first century. Sensei had just finished some personal instruction with one of his better students; Yori, who would be seventeen the following week. It was an odd experience for him to be training her, knowing what she would be going through later in her life. But Sensei was determined to make sure she would be thoroughly taught, so she would have the skills and strength to do what needed to be done.

The day was bright, and most of the students were either training outside or taking a short break from sparring matches.

Sensei spied one of his students reading a magazine. Though he did not forbid things such a pop culture magazines, or personal music players, or other things of that nature, he very much frowned upon it and did not make those particular feelings a secret.

Folding his hands neatly in front of him, Sensei strolled over to where his student was sitting.

"What are we reading today, Hirotaka?" He asked the young man.

"It is about cheerleaders in the United States, Master," Hirotaka said sheepishly holding out the magazine for Sensei to see.

And there he was.

(_You and the Lotus Blade are connected by destiny)_

The article was titled "The Cheerleader Hero"; it was a puff piece about the life of teen hero Kim Possible from Middleton High. Accompanying the article was a full-page photo featuring Kim and the rest of the Middleton High School cheer squad. Ron stood in the background, waving at the camera and wearing a goofy grin.

Sensei gazed at the photo.

"Hirotaka," Sensei said placidly, "How would you like to visit this Middleton High School as an exchange student?"

"I would like that very much, Sensei. I am interested in meeting this one." Hirotaka pointed her out in the photo, "The photo caption says her name is Bonnie Rockwaller."

"Very good," Sensei replied, handing the magazine back to him, "I will make the arrangements."

It was time for Ron Stoppable…

(_You were not chosen to come to Yamanuchi by accident)_

…to begin his training.

It was weeks before the exchange finally occurred. Sensei was very busy making preparations, training Yori, and trying to understand why one of his students, Fukushima, had become so agitated lately.

At last the day arrived. Sensei sent Yori to the airport in Tokyo to meet Ron. He wondered how the young man would react if he knew his older self was in a chamber on a cliff high above the school.

Finally, late in the afternoon, Yori came across the bridge, leading an exhausted, young, wide-eyed, blond-haired kid carrying a naked mole rat on his shoulder.

"Ron Stoppable, we have awaited your arrival. I am Sensei."

* * *

Kim set two cups of Tea before them. They drank, traded, then drank again. Sensei arranged flowers in a specific pattern on the small table between them. Then Ron came and knelt down, setting two more cups of Tea in front of them. They drank, traded, then drank again. Finally, Sensei himself poured a cup of Tea and set it before Kintaro. He drank, then handed it to Yori who also drank. Sensei arranged the flowers once more, and then pronounced them married.

Though normally the ceremony involved drinking cups of Sake, Yori did not want to hurt the baby, so they substituted Tea instead.

The wedding was held the day after Yori, Kintaro, Drakken and Shego were brought out of the chamber by Sensei. The Drakkens were escorted to Tokyo General where Drew got the arm set properly. After this, they journeyed to their Caribbean lair and had a sort of stay-at-home honeymoon. They fought a lot… and made up just as often. Drakken had his fill of waffles.

Kim and Ron were the only witnesses to the wedding ceremony, but they had brought plenty of gifts; most of them items for the baby. Top of the line stuff, too, since they could afford it… and then some.

When Ron and Kim had gone home after preventing Wil Du's death, they found a box sitting in the middle of their living room. It was just a plain, ordinary brown box.

Inside were silvery mylar bags with a logo and the words "Bueno Nacho" on them; a month's supply of microwaveable nacos. There was also an envelope with a note inside.

_Greetings from the future,_

_Mom told us all about how Apollyon cleaned out your bank accounts and stuff, so we thought we'd help out a little. Enclosed are the numbers of several Swiss bank accounts which you should be able to access on line. At least Wade says you can. I didn't know the internet had gotten so advanced way back in your day. Anyway, in those accounts are about eight years worth of naco royalties. We didn't think it was all that much money, but again, Wade says it's actually a lot for back in your time. I don't know if it's happened where you are, but the timeline's already shifted here. Wait 'til you see what happens (I really REALLY want to tell you but Kimono's watching me write this over my shoulder, making sure I don't corrupt the timeline. And now she just smacked me on the side of my head)._

_Anyway, Wade was adamantly against this, because he felt just sending you guys this stuff would change history, but we wore him down. Hope it's enough. Oh, and Rufus Three Thousand says 'hi'. He and Ronaldus are inseparable these days, which means there's dog hair all over the inside of the Ninjet._

_We love you, and we'll see you in about thirty some odd years._

_TJ (and the old ball 'n chain)_

_P.S. OW! Again!_

Kim and Ron spent three relaxing days in their home, plus one tense moment while the timeline collapsed and then restored once more.

Then they went and had a joyous reunion with Wade and Monique, as well both sets of parents, and Rufus, of course. Rufus had come up with an interesting idea; since he had an artificial brain, why not link it to things like Wade's communications system, and other vital stuff? Then he could be a functioning member of the team, with the ability to perform all kinds of tasks. Wade joked that Rufus might even become the first naked mole rat agent at GJ.

Ron simply nodded and said that he just might.

Then they returned to Yamanuchi.

Ron and Kim congratulated Kintaro and his new wife, who engaged in what Kintaro would have called a 'vulgar display' once the ceremony was complete. The others stood politely by as they kissed. Ron could not remember when he had seen Yori so happy, or Kintaro so red.

They all talked for a time, mostly in Japanese since Ron was the only one in the room who couldn't speak it. After awhile, Sensei told them he had some news for them, and that they should all sit down.

"It is time," Sensei announced, "For Yori to take my place as master of Yamanuchi."

Yori gasped, "After all that has happened, you are still wiling to bestow this honor upon me?"

"An honor it is, yes, but you may find it is also something less than a blessing. You will be master of this school just as I have these last seventeen hundred years. You will watch your friends grow old and die, as well as your children, grandchildren, and so on." Sensei explained quietly.

"And what of Kintaro?" Yori asked breathlessly.

"Kintaro, I think, will be allowed to accompany you on your journey." The old master replied, "You both must spend two weeks in the chamber up on the cliff each year. I find autumn works best, summers get quite warm up there. I have left instructions on the best methods of teaching Ninjitsu. You may decide to follow them, or develop your own curriculum."

"Will you be leaving, then?" Yori asked, her voice trembling.

"My daughter," Sensei said tenderly, with a sad smile, "I have fulfilled my destiny. At long last, the time has come for me to die. I am sorry you had to find this out on your wedding day, but my time grows short."

Tears welled up and slid down Yori's cheeks. Kintaro looked as though he'd been kicked in the stomach. Kim was already crying as she translated what Sensei had just said for Ron.

"No, Sensei, this… no," Ron's voice was filled with despair, "You can't go now. Not… you just can't!"

"Stoppable-san" Sensei said in English, "I have seen you and Yori fulfill your destinies. That was my assigned task; my penance for destroying the school near Osaka when I was young. I have come to understand it now. Death comes to us all, but it is merely a passage, a transition to something greater. I will finally be joining my brothers; Tanaka and Tokugawa, and many others as well. Death is an end, yes, but it is also a beginning."

Ron was speechless. He felt numb.

"And as I speak of beginnings. I have something for you." Sensei reached behind him and pulled forth a familiar–looking wooden case. "Yamanuchi now belongs to Yori… and Kintaro, of course. But this… this belongs to you."

The Lotus Blade leaped into Ron's grasp as soon as the lid was opened, as though eager to be reunited with its master. Ron was happy to have the Blade with him again, but it did not overcome the sadness that now filled him. Tears began to fall from his cheeks as well.

Sensei did not wake up the next morning.

Ron and Yori built a great pyre in the center courtyard of Yamanuchi and solemnly placed Sensei's body upon it. The ashes were collected and put in an urn, which Yori took up the cliff and placed inside the chamber there.

Kim and Ron stayed at Yamanuchi for a week, helping Kintaro to get settled in and assisting Yori while she hesitantly attempted to take over the duties as master of Yamanuchi. It was rough going at first, but they soon came to realize that Kintaro was definitely going to be a co-master of sorts, and Yori liked it that way.

At the end of the week, Ron and Kim said their goodbyes and began walking down the mountain. They had parked the Ninjet at the base, preferring to ascend the mountain as so many others had before. Kim, who had left the Kimjet parked just beyond the waterfall before traveling back to ancient Japan, moved it down next to her husband's car earlier in the week.

As they walked, they talked to each other about Yamanuchi's prospects and decided they were very good after all. Sensei had not said how long Yori was to be the school's master, only that she would know when her time was to come to an end.

After a time, Ron couldn't help pulling out the Lotus Blade and hefting it in his hands.

"Ahhh yeah!" He said enthusiastically, "Ronin is back, baby! And this time I-… HEY!"

The Lotus Blade wrenched itself from his grasp and sailed through the air to his wife's outstretched hand.

"And this time," Kim said with a smirk, "He's got a sidekick."

"You?" He asked, incredulous, "_You're_ going to be _my_ sidekick?"

"Well, after I take my maternity leave. I talked to Wade yesterday," Kim said lightly, "He's making me a new battlesuit; black with thin blue stripes. It'll have a the same neural-interface as yours, and a logo on the front; the Lotus Blade standing vertical with the two Magnolia Blades extending outward to form the shape of a 'K'. And I even get a ninja mask to go with it."

"You're going to keep your name? Doesn't help much in the secret identity department. How about something like Ninjette?"

"Well, Wade suggested 'Kimo', which means 'courage' in Japanese. But I was thinking maybe 'Kaminari'."

"What does that mean?" Ron asked.

"'Thunder'," Kim replied quietly, "Because I am the mother of Raitaro."

* * *

The sun had already gone down, the last of the pink was just brushing the underside of the clouds to the west. The surface of the lake was glassy calm, though occasionally a fish would leap at a bug and send ripples out in all directions. The crickets began to chirp, though not very loudly in the cool evening air.

The new grandparents had just gone home, and Ron was out front waving goodbye as they drove away.

Kim stood on the deck outside their bedroom, cradling Ronnie-Anne close as she gazed out over the water. Her newborn daughter slept peacefully in her protective arms.

On the other side of the planet, Yori and Kintaro had welcomed their son to the world a few days earlier. The child was born with monkey hands and feet, though the fur was much thinner than his father's. In addition, there was a six-inch monkey tail that began just above his little baby butt. It, too was furry, as was the immediate area around where the tail joined the body, but the rest of the baby was smooth-skinned, save for the shock of black hair on his head.

Yori named him Toshimiru, in honor of Sensei.

It wasn't long before everyone was calling him Toshi.

Back in Middleton, Kim heard music pouring out of the outside speakers mounted above the deck. The song was 'Into the Mystic' by Van Morrison. Ron had been listening it a lot lately.

"How are my two favorite people in the world doing?" Ron asked jovially as he joined his wife out on the deck.

"She's sleeping." Kim whispered.

Ron leaned over and kissed Veronica's forehead lightly. The baby stirred, but did not wake up.

"What is it with you and this song?" Kim looked up into her husband's eyes.

"The lyrics seem to have a lot of meaning to me lately." Ron replied.

"What exactly do they mean?"

"Well, it's a Shakespearean reference. 'Into the Mystic' refers to Hamlet when he's talking about 'The Undiscovered Country', specifically the Future. The song is about this guy taking a journey with his soulmate into the unknown; into the 'Mystic'."

Kim understood what he meant. Ron had been talking a lot about timelines and changing destinies in the months leading up to his daughter's birth. She looked down at Ronnie-Anne, then back into her husband's eyes again. Hers were brimming with tears.

"She's so beautiful." Kim whispered.

"Gets it from her mother." Ron smiled and kissed his wife. He looked at the two of them and felt almost overwhelmed at how much love he had in him.

She seemed to read his thoughts.

"I love you so much, Ron. Sometimes there aren't rnough words to express it." Kim whispered.

The twilight deepened and the stars began to come out.

Ron pulled a worn piece of paper from his pocket. It had a date written on it, but he'd handled it so many times that the writing had worn off. Didn't matter, he'd long since memorized the date. He wasn't sure what would happen when the time came, wasn't even sure if he should do anything about it at all. If he avoided his death that day, then the timeline might shift. Check that, it _would_ shift. But how much? Enough to destroy the universe once again? Would Ron avoiding his death somehow cause Yori to not be in a position to break the Tempus Simia?

There was no way to know.

But maybe he didn't need to.

Ron realized he was not just holding a piece of paper in his hand.

He was holding on to hope.

And that, at least, was something.

* * *

THE END 


	26. Epilogue

Author gushes: This ranks among the most amazing and fulfilling writing experiences of my life, and I can't thank the readers and reviewers enough. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try (If gushing 'thank you' speeches bore you, then just skip down to the line break).

Muttly – Thanks for all the nice stuff you said, and for your fantastic pics. Man, I can feel you snappin' at my heels. Don't worry, Indy's a comin'…

MrDrP – I really appreciate all your kind words. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Scoutcraft Piratess – Sorry of it wasn't totally crowd-pleasing, but I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for reading.

Jezriana2.0 – These attempts to hide your latent attraction to me are making me blush. It's OK to admit that you want me. Thanks for reading.

Classic Cowboy – Since you're easily the most popular and admired writer on the KP fanfic boards, I shall be using your review as an endorsement, and putting it on all the UNION posters ("'Two Thumbs Up!' - raves Classic Cowboy of the Ridgefield Press") Thanks so much for reading.

Dreammergurl2007 – One of the best compliments a writer can receive is just knowing someone is actually going to read something of his more than once. Thanks for all your reviews, and all your kind words.

Pwn Master Paladin – Dude! Thanks a bunch for listing this on your C2 archive, and thanks for all your great reviews.

The Incredible Werekitty – It has indeed been a long, strange trip. Thank you for taking this journey with me, and for all your kind words.

Mattb3671 – If only said skillz would pay the billz. I left a few threads intentionally open, hope you don't mind. THANKS… for reading.

Spooks-a-lot – It does wonders for a writer when you tell him you'd actually buy one of his stories. That meant a lot to me. Thanks for all your reviews through REUNION and this story.

WesUAH – compliments mean a great deal coming from a writer as talented as you. I can't thank you enough.

Commander Argus – Thanks a bunch.

Ezbok58a – I will indeed be taking a rest. Thanks for your great reviews.

Mobius97 – actually I think you said you were late for work in one of your reviews. I'd hate to be responsible for all that lost productive time… anyway, thanks for reading and thanks for all your kind words.

aimtbj – there aren't adequate words in the English language to thank you enough. I appreciate your hanging with me through REUNION and this story as well.

JPMod – Yet another who's been with me through REUNION and UNION. Thanks so much for all your kind reviews. I hope you find the epilogue to your satisfaction.

Zaratan – Thanks. Sorry if it wasn't quite what you expected, but thanks for hanging in there, and for all your kind words.

Texas Dad – Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me. I remember in one of your reviews you said this was some of the best fiction you'd read in a decade. Those words have stayed with me, and meant a lot.

TAZER ZERO – thank you very much.

KC England – thank you, I really appreciate it.

Widow Shark – The Christmas Story reference was the part where the Drakkenites sing the Oh Boyz song, much the way the Chinese Waiters sang Christmas carols to Ralphie's family at the restaurant. Thank you for reading through REUNION and UNION, all your kind words mean a great deal to me.

Sestren NK – I am touched that you were emotionally affected by this story. Thanks so much for all your kind reviews.

Porphyria-Kris – You are a writer's dream come true. All your detailed reviews and kind words can never be properly repaid. Thank you… I wish there were a better way to say it, but thank you.

Invader Thing – Thanks for the booyah, and for all your great reviews.

Jokerisdaking – Ah, another sojourner who accompanied me through REUNION and UNION. Your reviews have always been greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Ace Ian Combat – Hope your parents weren't disturbed. Thanks so much for reading and sharing your kind words with me.

John – I will try. Thank you.

Dixon San – I, too am sad it's over. Thank you for your great reviews.

Brimmstone – one word: Thanks.

Recon228 – Dude, you are the man. Again, receiving such a compliment from such a talented writer is great praise indeed. Thanks for all your reviews.

Kemiztri – Thank you for inspiring me to bring Veronica back to Ancient Japan (for anyone else reading, originally TJ was the only one who was going to go back in time with Ron, but Kemiztri gave me an idea…), I think the story turned out better because of it. Thanks for reading, and for all your kind words.

Manchester Black – Your compliments mean a lot. Thank you, and thank you for reading.

Zero9g9 – Thanks for reading.

Lennex – Thanks a bunch for reading. Glad you liked it.

Visigoth29527 – I hope the inquiring minds are satisfied. Glad you like the story and thanks for reading.

And thanks to everyone who has listed UNION among their favorite stories. It means a lot to me.

Thanks to all who read UNION, I hope you liked it.

See you guys in a few weeks.

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

"Sir? We are approaching the designated coordinates."

"Full stop, Sub-Commander."

"Answering full stop, aye."

The four ships of the SPS _Titan_ Carrier Group slowed their momentum to a relative stop just beyond the outer boundary of the Solar System and held position in tight formation. The _Titan_ herself continued forward at a crawl, then came to a halt.

The two escort Battle Cruisers; the _Zeus, _and the _Hercules,_ rotated slightly and faced outward, away from the flagship, and went on heightened alert while the Supply Cruiser _Athena_ took up station just astern of the massive starcraft carrier.

"What do we do now, sir?" The sub-commander asked his superior officer.

"We wait," Admiral Amanda Flagg replied curtly.

Silence for a short while.

"I've never been to Earth," The sub-commander chatted idly, "What's it like?"

"It has its own unique beauty," Amanda said quietly, "Though I was only there for a few years, and didn't see as much of Earth as I would have liked. I was too busy studying."

"You never told us where you went to school."

"That's because I was sent there by Central Command after I graduated from the academy, which means it's a matter of some secrecy. Anything yet?"

Amanda glanced over at the operations officer who simply shook his head silently, indicating that nothing was being picked up on sensors. She eyed the container near her feet nervously. It was a long way to come for such a small package.

Admiral Flagg strode purposefully over to the large observation windows of the command deck and looked out along the length of the carrier. The damage teams had nearly finished their work. Originally, she was annoyed that she had been chosen to carry out this particular mission, and further annoyed that her entire carrier group was committed to its completion. She had petitioned Central Command to allow her to conduct her mission with either the _Zeus _or the _Hercules_, but they had issued strict orders that she was to utilize her entire carrier group for the operation.

She soon found out why.

The war had been going for two years now, longer than any war had gone on for at least a century. A minor territorial dispute had erupted between the Union of Socialist Planetary Systems (USPS) – the largest alliance of planets in the galaxy – and a loose affiliation of planetary democracies called the Federation of Ten (Fed-X). The dispute erupted into a full-scale war when diplomatic efforts over the territory in question failed. While Fed-X and the USPS fought it out, the other two major factions in the galaxy; the United Planets of Sol (UPS) - which consisted of Earth, and the terra-formed planets of Mars, Venus and several of Jupiter's moons - and the Desolate Habitats League (DHL) – a group of nearly inhospitable planets on the extreme outer rim of the galaxy – remained neutral.

At the outset of the conflict, there were a few rules that governed the conduct of war as set forth in the Treaties of New Geneva. A majority of the rules dealt with treatment of prisoners and the forbidding of civilian habitations as military targets. But the most important laws of war were those banning certain types of weapons.

Ancient nuclear weaponry was outlawed, as were chemical and biological weapons. Cascade and anti-matter weapons were also forbidden. Certain types of proto-matter weapons were allowed but the restrictions were so tight, no one bothered to manufacture them. And, of course, any kind of device that utilized or generated Chronotheta Radiation was absolutely prohibited.

Time travel, and specifically, the use of Chronotheta Radiation for any purpose, had been outlawed since before the human and molerat races began to colonize other planets. Every planet with even a scattering of settlements had a network of satellites designed to detect all sorts of substances, including Chronotheta Radiation. If any such radiation was detected, those attempting to use it were dealt with swiftly and firmly. In fact, attempted manipulation of the Space/Time Continuum was one of a few crimes for which due process was exempt. Mess with the time stream and you were either going to die or get locked up without question. Each of the societies in the galaxy saw the necessity of this. No one could be allowed to time travel and tear apart the continuum.

But, of course, that didn't mean someone didn't try every now and then.

Which was why Admiral Flagg and the _Titan_ carrier group had been dispatched to a tiny, out-of-the-way planet just outside the boundaries of DHL territory. There, she and her soldiers had encountered a being who called herself Saru. She was a sentient primate, though Flagg couldn't tell if she was Gorilla, or Monkey, or both. Whatever Saru was, she had developed a time travel device and had apparently already used it, though where she had gone, nobody knew. Wherever is was, she didn't stay long enough to pull apart the timeline.

Saru's device, as it turned out, was not just any ordinary time travel device. It had been equipped with a Molecular Manipulator; an advanced piece of technology that allowed Saru to transform stone into creatures who would do her bidding. Molecular Manipulators had been in use before, though none to any great success and none had been developed that were portable. But Saru had discovered the secret to making a Molecular Manipulator work; the denser the material, the more likely it would remain cohesive and able to function under her control. Less dense materials such as flesh or even wood would eventually lose their ability to function and whatever form they assumed simply shut down. But denser materials could operate under their own will.

When the _Titan_ assumed an orbital position above Saru's planet, it soon found itself under attack by an army of stone monkeys flying rather heavily armed fighter craft. Admiral Flagg was barely able to launch her squadrons of starcraft in time and a heavy battle raged for the better part of the afternoon.

Eventually, however, Saru was captured and put into cryogenic captivity and Flagg handed her over to the DHL authorities who had demanded she be left with them to deal with. Before Saru was frozen, however, Flagg had her subjected to mindscan interrogation and learned some very interesting things about her simian prisoner. Among them was the fact that Saru was a descendent of two genetically altered humans who had lived on Earth five hundred years ago; an English lord who was known as Montgomery Fiske and a geneticist by the name of Doctor Amy Hall.

Admiral Flagg sent a request through diplomatic channels to Earth, asking for information on Fiske and Hall. But instead of the expected information, Admiral Amanda Flagg was ordered to deliver the captured time travel device to UPS; specifically Earth, to a school she had attended when she was young.

When she asked for the details on who had made the request, she began to believe the legends were true. As a student at Yamanuchi, rumors circulated every year about the almost mythical Ron Stoppable and his cohorts, and how he had once attended the school. In addition, the rumors always seemed to include Master-

"Sir?" The ensign's voice at Tactical interrupted Amanda's thoughts, "Two inbound vessels."

"What do you make of them, Ensign?"

"Ronin class Star Destroyers, sir, heavily armed."

"That'll be our escort," Flagg muttered, "Open a communication frequency."

"Open."

"This is Admiral Amanda Flagg of the SPS _Titan_. I am officially requesting safe passage to the planet Earth to carry out a mission assigned to me by both our governments." She said in a serious tone.

On the command deck in front of the communications station, a holographic image of a rodent appeared. It was hairless, pink, and stood about two feet tall.

"I am Field Marshall Ronaldus Ten Thousand of the SD _Raitaro_, we will be escorting you to Earth, Admiral Flagg. However, we regret to inform you that only your flagship may cross over into our territory. The remainder of your battle group must hold this position until you return."

"Understood, Field Marshall Ronaldus, I will transfer my flag to the Battlecruiser Hercules and we will accompany you to Earth."

"Acknowledged," and the mole rat disappeared.

Amanda turned to leave the command deck, then halted, a thought crossing her mind.

"Lieutenant," She turned to the officer manning the tactical console, "Just out of curiosity, if we were to launch fighters as well as engage with the battlecruisers-"

"We wouldn't last three minutes, sir." The Lieutenant said with a rueful grin.

"Like I said," Admiral Flagg picked up the small container and turned to leave, "Just curious."

The small convoy maintained a tight formation, with the SD _Raitaro_ out front and the second Star Destroyer, _Katana, _bringing up the rear. Amanda invited the Field Marshall and his senior staff to the Hercules and gave them a tour. She noted their polite responses and courteous, though feigned, interest in her ship. They were simply being diplomatic. Though their ships were half the size of the Hercules, they were far more powerful, more advanced, and much more deadly.

"I would offer you a tour of the Raitaro," Field Marshall Ronaldus said politely, "But both our Star Destroyers are comprised solely of molerat crews. You would find yourself having to crawl uncomfortably through the corridors."

"I understand completely," Amanda hid her disappointment. She would have gladly crawled through every deck of the _Raitaro_ just to get a glimpse inside one vessel of the most powerful galactic fleet in the known universe.

There were plenty of ships in the UPS fleet that had human crews, and most of those had molerat crewmembers working alongside human crewmates. But there were four vessels in the fleet that were made up solely of molerat crews, and it was considered the highest honor of a molerat to not only to serve in the protection of the system of planets that orbited the small star called 'Sol', but to be assigned to one of those four vessels.

There were no military vessels in the UPS fleet that had an all-human crew. Once, when the molerats saved the Earth from destruction by a hostile armada of DHL heavy Starcruisers, the decision was made to commission four vessels that would be crewed and maintained by molerats only. It was a gesture of implicit trust on the part of the human government to place their protection in the hands of their molerat allies.

Though many molerats still lived on Earth, most of them had migrated to Mars some two hundred years ago. Humans had attempted to colonize the red planet, but were unsuccessful; Mars was simply too inhospitable.

However, one group of intrepid molerats led by the legendary explorer Wade Six Thousand (his actual name was Wade Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-Eight, but even the molerat historians grew tired of writing it all out and simply rounded off the figure), managed to establish a base on Mars and soon, a full-sized colony was thriving where humanity had been unable to make a go of it.

They were granted full autonomy by Earth's parliament and quickly established an alliance that remains yet unbroken.

"Admiral Flagg," the Field Marshall spoke with a courteous tone, "We will be in Earth's orbit in less than three minutes. Will you be taking a shuttle to the surface or do you wish us to teleport you planetside?"

"You can teleport me without my having to be on your ship?" Amanda asked with unabashed awe.

"Affirmative." The rodent replied simply "We will remain in orbit until you complete delivery of the time travel device."

"You are aware of my mission?"

"Our sensors picked up the Chronotheta radiation when we approached your position on the outer edge of the system. After we alerted Fleet HQ, we were informed this was to be expected. This is why we were delayed slightly in our rendezvous with you. We had our weapons charged and were preparing to obliterate your carrier group, but were told to stand down."

Amanda looked down at the rodent standing opposite her, "You had your weapons fully charged and were within range."

"As soon as you arrived at the coordinates." The molerat confirmed.

"I'll take a shuttle down", Amanda said in a shaky voice. The idea that they were poised to destroy her and her entire battlegroup without once being picked up by sensors was unnerving.

"As you wish," Field Marshall Ronaldus turned slightly to his right and raised a fist, exhorting her with the molerat word for 'success', "Hooshah!"

Without so much as a flash or an accompanying noise, the molerat appeared blurry, then disappeared altogether.

Amanda calmed her nerves as the shuttle descended though Earth's atmosphere and automatically adjusted its trajectory for the large island off the coast of mainland China. She didn't look forward to the report she would have to give her superiors, but then began to wonder if USPS NavComHQ might not have sent her on this particular mission just to test the defensive waters at the United Planets of the Solar System.

They would be in for quite a surprise when they received her report.

Admiral Flagg smoothed her uniform and marveled at the clear skies around her. As far as she could tell, she was the only craft within a several hundred mile radius. On her home planet of Yusei, one could almost climb into the upper atmosphere by simply hopping from one craft to another. Indeed, even the space between Yusei and the next inhabited planet of the USPS was so crowded with traffic, strict travel corridors were established to reduce the number of collisions that occurred on an hourly basis.

The shuttle's retrothrusters fired and the craft settled into a hover over a landing pad at the base of Mount Yamanuchi. When she emerged from the craft, Amanda was startled to see the two people had come to meet her.

They were old, almost ancient. The woman had pure white hair that fell to her waist. Despite her aged appearance, there was still an ethereal beauty about her. Next to her was an old man with a long, white beard that cascaded down over his chest, and a bald, wrinkled head.

"Yori-sensei," Amanda said with a low bow, "Kintaro-sensei. You honor me by meeting here at the base of the mountain. I would have been content to be escorted by one or two of your students."

"Hello, Amanda," Yori returned the bow, but did not stoop quite as low, "I would not insult one of such high rank by sending a mere student to escort her."

"Besides," Kintaro said with a chuckle, "There were no students to send. Yamanuchi has trained its last ninja."

"Forgive me if I am somewhat self-conscious." Amanda said quietly, "I find myself embarrassed that we should meet under such circumstances. Just so you know, I am not fighting this war willingly."

Yori looked at her and smiled, "It is our hope that no one fights a war willingly."

"War is never the answer," Kintaro added, "But at times it must be a solution. If you are performing your duties with honor, then we can ask nothing else of you. But come, we wish for you to share a meal with us."

"I have brought the requested item," Amanda turned around and produced the medium-sized box, holding it out to Yori.

Yori looked momentarily terrified, then recovered quickly with a smile, "It will be your honor to carry it up the mountain for us."

Amanda laughed, tucking the box under her arm. Yori-sensei had once gotten a young, rebellious Amanda to do many things she didn't want to by telling her she would gain honor in finishing the tasks; homework, sparring matches, running the dragon course early in the morning… She breathed in the pure, warm summer air and felt like she was eighteen years old once more.

As if reading her thoughts, Kintaro-sensei remarked, "The river still runs at full capacity, should you wish to take a swim this afternoon."

Yori shot a glare at her husband, "As long as Kintaro-sensei is nowhere in the vicinity."

Amanda laughed but blushed as well. She had created quite a scandal one summer day in her first year at Yamanuchi by cooling off in the river below the school. Several of the boys had followed her down, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful blonde in her birthday suit. Amanda, knowing the boys had followed and liking the idea of being a tease, slipped out of her clothes and plunged into the deep, green pool. When she surfaced, she was startled to find herself staring into the less-than-amused eyes of Yori and the slightly amused eyes of Kintaro who were in the midst of their customary mid-morning bathing session.

Amanda scrambled to the shore and dressed hurriedly, realizing the boys had abandoned their hopes of seeing her in the altogether when they realized the spot in the river she was heading for.

Yori wanted to make Amanda run the dragon course in the nude.

"If she wants to show herself off, let her do so!" Yori barked at her husband, loud enough for Amanda and the rest of the school to hear.

Kintaro pretended to consider it, and they went inside.

Amanda spent the afternoon in terror, waiting for Yori-sensei's wrath to come crashing down upon her. But it never did. Later Amanda would realize it had all been an act, and they never intended to humiliate her in that manner. The rumors flew about how Amanda had known the boys were following her to the river, and she had to endure several crass proposals from some of the more brazen boys in the school. A few days later Yori called her to her quarters.

"I understand you have had a few unwanted advances from other students."

"Yes, Yori-sensei." Amanda said quietly.

"Whose fault is this?" Yori demanded.

"Mine." Amanda whispered.

"Not entirely," Yori's tone softened, "Self-control is a virtue all ninjas must exercise, but we cannot ignore the fact that these boys have gotten an idea in their heads, and that idea had to come from somewhere. One should not advertise unless one is willing to entertain clients. If anyone propositions you again, let me know, and they will be dealt with."

And with that, Amanda was dismissed.

She had been expecting something much more severe, perhaps expulsion for being a disruption at the school. But she had been given a lesson, and granted grace. Amanda soon found herself wanting nothing more than to please and win the approval of her masters. She worked hard the rest of her time at Yamanuchi, and never forgot her training, or the lessons she learned outside of class.

Lost in her memories, Amanda was surprised when they came upon the waterfall. How many years had it been since she walked through here? The three of them walked behind the cascading water and through a narrow passageway, out to a precipice beyond. There, a narrow rope-and-board bridge spanned a deep chasm to a small outcropping, then another similar bridge led across a canyon to a compound perched on the edge of a cliff. The dull roar of the rushing river far below filled her ears.

"How long has it been?" Kintaro turned and asked Amanda.

"Too long, Kintaro-sensei." Amanda replied, "Far too long."

It was eerie walking through the gates of the school and being met by no one. The compound was empty and silent, only the river below could be heard. There was such an air of solemnity and history about the place, Amanda felt as though she shouldn't talk above a whisper. Doors were shut tight, sparring staffs rested neatly against a nearby wall, windows were closed.

Yori led them into the large, empty dining hall. Kintaro scurried into the kitchen and made the last preparations that needed to be made for the meal, and brought out the food. Amanda looked around, remembering the hall as a place of lively conversation and laughter, filled with students chattering excitedly about one thing or another. Many was the time when she and her fellow students would try to guess which table it was where Ron Stoppable had eaten while he was a student there. Sometimes they would talk about his twin granddaughters Dawn and Sharon; legendary ninjas who could shoot greenish energy beams from their hands and eyes, and shared possession of a mystical sword with great powers.

Amanda set the box on the table next to her and noted the sideways glance that Yori gave it just before sitting down herself.

"We are glad you are here, Amanda." Kintaro-sensei said, setting food on the table and sitting down, "It is good for us to share a final meal with one of our students."

"'Final Meal'?" Amanda asked with alarm.

"It is not what you think." Yori-sensei said quietly, "We are not dying. Not yet at any rate."

"We will soon be taking a journey," Kintaro added, "But we would like to tell you a story first."

Over the course of the next several hours, Amanda sat in utter astonishment and incredulity, barely touching the meal set before her, as the voices of her two former masters echoed through the empty dining area.

There had always been rumors, of course, that Yori-sensei and Kintaro-sensei were immortal, that they could not die. But they were always treated as rumors. No one lived forever. Howeverf, this possibility was overshadowed by certain details that seemed even more incredible to Amanda Flagg.

"Please forgive my interruption," She finally was unable to keep quiet, "But I… I mean… I've been to the Middleton Monument where the members of the legendary Stoppable family are buried… but… you actually _knew _Ron and Kim Stoppable?"

Yori-sensei said nothing, but Kintaro-sensei smiled widely.

"Master Yori actually had a brief love affair with Ron Stoppable." He beamed, almost as if he were proud of this fact.

"I did not see the need to mention that." Yori said quietly to her husband, "My feelings for Stoppable-san-"

"Were genuine," Kintaro said with a grin, "At least early on. And I think it is fair to say he felt something for you in those days. Besides, you know I've been wanting to tell at least one person about it. Keeping a secret for five hundred years can be difficult. And look, she does not believe me anyway."

Amanda's jaw had practically hit the table. Admiral Amanda Flagg was a decorated, high-ranking officer in the USPS Galactic Fleet. She had seen combat on more occasions than she wanted to remember, had heard tales and seen events that would confound the human mind. Her crew knew her as a proper, dignified, level-headed tactician who kept her cool even in the hottest of combat situations. But today she was a giddy school-girl being told the secrets of the universe.

"This is true?" She breathed.

"We were involved for a time." Yori said simply, "But there is much more to this story. In fact, did you know my husband is two thousand years old?"

"And I don't look a day over two hundred!" Kintaro-sensei said proudly, while his wife giggled. She never seemed to tire of that joke.

Amanda suddenly noticed it had gotten dark outside. She abruptly stood up.

"This journey you are taking; it has something to do with this, doesn't it?" Amanda took the Tempus Simia out of the box and placed it on the table.

Yori-sensei gasped and covered her mouth.

Kintaro nodded, "We were not completely sure until just now. What can you tell us about it?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. It's made of synthetic materials intended to resemble stone. Housed within it are several nano-components that generate a Chronotheta radiation field. We believe it operates on the principle of the 'cosmic tether'; that once activated, an energy band will engage and stay connected to whoever is using the device so that person can return the approximate moment when they left."

"And is it generating the radiation now?" Kintaro-sensei asked calmly.

"Yes," Amanda confirmed, "But it is unfocused. Two things need to be done in order for this device to work. First, the head needs to be connected to the body."

And here Amanda twisted the head of the Tempus Simia slightly and removed it. Yori-sensei bit her lip but said nothing..

"Second", Amanda continued, "The device needs to be exposed to a specific frequency of ultraviolet ray. Now, on Saru's planet she could activate it just about anywhere. But here on Earth, you'd have to be fairly close to the equator in order to get the correct frequency of ultraviolet to make the device function."

"Say, for instance, a temple in central Africa." Kintaro speculated.

"Wouldn't have to be a temple," Amanda replied, "But yes, some time around noon when Sol – your sun – is in a specific position would be best. Central Africa, or the central portion of the South American continent. If I might be allowed to ask… where are you planning to go on this journey? I mean, it's actually a mater of interstellar law that all time travel devices are to be destroyed, no exceptions."

"It would take quite some time to tell this tale." Yori finally spoke, "And we do not wish to keep you from your duties."

"I will go if you wish me to," Amanda spoke softly, "But if I can arrange it, I would like to hear your tale. I have damage teams repairing my carrier and it will take several days for them to complete their work."

Yori looked at Kintaro who shrugged and nodded, "It would be nice to tell at least one person."

"Make whatever arrangements are necessary," Yori said to Amanda, "But we must leave in the morning."

The admiral nodded and walked outside into the cool night air. She produced a small communications device and was soon speaking to Field Marshall Ronaldus Ten Thousand.

Amanda could tell the molerat was less than pleased about her request, but consented. They would maintain orbit until Nine a.m. Japanese local time, but not a moment later.

Up until that point, Yori and Kintaro had only told Amanda about Ron and Kim and Sensei, and one or two stories about Ron's adventures at Yamanuchi. But now, Amanda was told about the War of the Tempus Simia, Yori's betrayal, and the brief collapse of the timeline.

"So that's what that is?" Amanda was aghast, "That thing that happens roughly every thirty years, when everyone in the galaxy seems to black out at the same time? I thought Astral-scientists had determined this to be a 'universal shift', when an event horizon ripples through space."

"That's the cover story," Kintaro explained, "It was decided several hundred years ago that telling the general populace the universe would briefly collapse every thirty years was not a good idea."

"Wow." Amanda mused, "I remember going to a 'Shift Party' in college. I think another event is due to occur in about five years, yes?"

"I don't keep track," Kintaro answered, then continued his story.

The light was just beginning to come up in the east before Kintaro and Yori finished their tale. Amanda sat dumbfounded at all she had learned that night. For all the legendary exploits of the Stoppable family, what was perhaps their most epic adventure was never made known to history.

"Now you understand why we cannot simply destroy the Tempus Simia." Yori said evenly.

Amanda nodded. Her head reeled with the implications. If the Tempus Simia device were destroyed now… the effect it would have on events throughout history was mind boggling. The molerat race might never have come into being, and thus never have saved Earth. Had the invasion been a success, the DHL marauders (who were a very savage and barbaric society in those days) would have gotten their hands on certain kinds of technology that might have allowed them to conquer the rest of the galaxy. Indeed, now they were a developing civilization with laws and a governing body. But in those days, they probably would not have thought twice about using a cascade weapon or a meta-biological device. Entire systems would have been laid waste.

And that was just one example connected to the existence of the Tempus Simia. Then a realization hit Amanda like a thunderclap.

"You are just now realizing that Saru was actually successful in her scheme." Kintaro noted the look on her face.

Amanda nodded numbly. Saru had already been to the past, and had probably tested her device in the mountains of ancient Satsuma Province. But if she had stayed in the past, she would have been pursued, brought back, and any damage she had done would have been corrected.

"By coming back to almost the exact point when she had left, we just assumed she had never gone." Amanda concluded, "There were no noticeable shifts in the timeline."

"Time travel is a _yatuka na_ of disturbing _aidia_." Yori complained.

"The timeline we know includes the existence of the Tempus Simia," Kintaro added, "If we were to destroy it now…"

"It could produce a cataclysmic shift in the continuum," Amanda finished, "And leave us with what would very likely be a much worse timeline. Better to deal with the known, than risk the unknown. You two are taking the device into the past, and you aren't returning."

Yori-sensei and Kintaro-sensei looked at each other, then Kintaro spoke to Amanda, "Sometimes we choose our destiny, sometimes Destiny chooses us. We were not sure what the task was that we were supposed to stay alive all these years for, but when word reached our ears that you had discovered a simian-shaped time travel device… It is time we began our journey. Can you take us to the vicinity of the equator?"

Amanda nodded solemnly. She handed the head and body of the device to Kintaro-sensei, and went outside to remote pilot her shuttle to a clearing just beyond the waterfall. Soon, Yori-sensei and Kintaro-sensei made their way to the gates of Yamanuchi and turned for one final look at what had been their home for the last five hundred years. Yori had taken Sensei's ashes from the room up in the cliff and spread them upon the courtyard of the school.

The Governor of Japan had already taken steps to keep the area secure from any unwanted visitors. After a few years, Yamanuchi would become a museum of Japanese history. But for the time being, it would remain empty in honor of those who had trained as well as taught at this school.

Yori took her husband's hand, said a silent goodbye to Yamanuchi, then walked across the bridge to the waterfall and the waiting shuttlecraft.

Finding the position of the sun at noon, as well as the equator, had taken them Southeast over the vast Pacific Ocean. They were unable to locate a suitable island, so Amanda brought the shuttle to a hover near the surface of the water. Yori and Kintaro took up their packs - simple wooden containers with a few day's worth of food – and Yori at last picked up the Tempus Simia.

"Goodbye Admiral Flagg," Kintaro bowed to Amanda, "We are honored that you should be here at our departure."

"The honor is mine," Amanda said in an emotional voice, "Thank you, for everything you taught me."

Yori stepped forward and blessed her former pupil with a hug, then placed the head of the Tempus Simia upon the body of the device. A burst of reddish light accompanied a deep, pulsating explosive kind of sound. A visible, pale red shockwave emanated from the light-burst and spread out in all directions, almost knocking the three of them off their feet. A crimson vortex opened in the shuttle before them.

Yori grasped Kintaro's hand and they stepped through together.

* * *

"Admiral Flagg to Saru. Admiral Flagg to Saru. Please acknowledge."

"This is Saru, go ahead Admiral Flagg… I hope you are transmitting on a secure channel."

"I am. Mission accomplished."

"You sent the device into the past?"

"Affirmative. The enemies of your ancestor Monkey Fist actually took it into the past willingly. Just before the vortex closed, I initiated a burst of anti-Chronotheta radiation as you instructed. If you are correct, the tether should have been severed and they will be unable to return to this time or any other. But I still have many questions. Are you sure of all this?

"I am. I have studied this matter thoroughly. If the Simia device had not been taken into the past – if it had simply been destroyed and not allowed to corrupt the timeline – then many events would have taken place that would have been detrimental to my cause. The molerat race would have flourished, and a great leader would have emerged from among them. He would have ushered in an era of unprecedented peace and tranquility throughout the galaxy, uniting all the peoples of the universe under one harmonious banner."

"Such a society would not have been so easy to conquer."

"Correct. But now, with the timeline corrupted and the factions divided, I will soon lead the warriors of the DHL against the Federation of Ten and their leader – James Tiberius Stoppable – will perish in a most hideous manner. I will exact upon him the revenge his family deserves for the death of my forefather Monkey Fist. Then with your help, I will conquer the USPS. Soon after, Earth and the UPS will fall under my rule. You have served me well, Amanda, and you will be rewarded under my new order. Return to USPS territory and await my instructions."

"Acknowledged."

* * *

Chronotheta radiation is a type of energy similar to certain kinds of radiation produced by the human mind under specific circumstances. In the case of the Tempus Simia, the person using it simply had to think of the desired destination in the timeline and the other end of the vortex would lead to that destination.

In addition, this type of thought-produced energy was how Monkey Fist was initially able to control his monkey army; at least the stone figures. The living ones, such as the Kappa and the dragons were simply influenced by the power of the Chronotheta radiation, as focused by Monkey Fist's desire to use these creatures as part of his army.

Yori and Kintaro knew they could not journey too far beyond their energy signatures in the timeline, and so they emerged from the vortex near Yamanuchi, in ancient Japan some forty-five years before the War of the Tempus Simia.

Not wishing to corrupt the timeline, they sought out Sensei and told him only that they had found an evil talisman that needed to be hidden so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. And though they possessed the mystical monkey power, they did not tell him they had it; only that a master of Tai Xing Pek Wah could use the powers of the simian idol to conquer the earth.

Sensei's experience with the Ohana Wraith was enough to make him believe these two strangers, so he advised them to seek out the same Shao Lin Monks who had gifted him with the power of Monkey Kung Fu. But these monks were in China, and neither Yori nor Kintaro could speak Manderin.

So, to Yori and Kintaro's great delight, Sensei left the operation of Yamanuchi in the hands of his chief instructors and journeyed to China with two people who had been his students, as well as the subsequent masters of Yamanuchi after his death.

Both Yori and Kintaro soon found themselves on perhaps the most enjoyable journey of their lives. Though they could not reveal to Sensei just exactly who they were, they were able to share with him their knowledge of ninjitsu, and the art of training ninjas. Many evenings were spent aboard a sailing vessel or around a campfire chatting and discussing various techniques of combat, or a code of conduct for a ninja, or any number of subjects the three of them had knowledge of. Yori was able to come to know and see Sensei in a way she never had before. As her teacher, Sensei was always the proud, quiet, dignified master. But here he treated her as an equal. For all the experiences she had with Sensei, these would be her favorite memories of him.

When they reached the Shao Lin Monastery, Yori and Kintaro once again told the monks only the pertinent information; evil talisman, very powerful and very deadly. None of the monks seemed overly surprised, as some of their predecessors had once instilled four simian statues with the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah and sent them to the far corners of the earth.

It was decided the best course of action would be to deal with the Tempus Simia in a like manner. The head of the idol would be taken to one end of the Earth, while the body would be taken to the other; both to be enshrined in small, but hidden temples for safekeeping.

"And now," the chief Monk said through Sensei, "You must tell us how to call forth the powers of the talisman. We will construct a temple with instructions on what must be done to use this power."

"'Instructions?'" Yori was astonished, "Do we not simply wish to hide the idol and be done with it?"

"Ah," The monk observed thoughtfully, "I do not believe that to be a wise course of action. Notice the flame of the ceremonial fire here."

The monk walked over to a small cauldron and pulled a burning stick from it.

"I could hand this to a child and be done with it, hoping the child will understand that fire is dangerous." The monk said placidly, "But if I did not leave instructions with this child, invariably the child would end up burned, or even dead. Indeed, others could even suffer from the child's ignorant actions."

"So, just hiding the talisman is not enough, because someone would likely find it, and unintentionally call forth its power." Kintaro concluded.

"Precisely," The monk said with a smile, "Better to pass along the knowledge so that he who finds the talisman can make an informed decision on what to do with its power. Much like this flame; an educated man can use fire to warm himself, cook his meals, or any number of other ways fire can be used for good. But an educated man who is evil could also use fire to destroy crops, or kill others. Let those who would actively seek the talisman have the full knowledge of it, and let no one who uses it claim they did not know what they were doing."

"But if an evil man should find it, and use its power…" Yori

"Then the task would rest with those who profess to be good to deal with him." The monk said plainly, "We are all endowed with Free Will. It is both a blessing and a curse. The ability of one man to choose evil shows the rest of us why it is better to choose the Light over the darkness. Without evil, we do not know what good is; without the bitter, we cannot know the sweet."

For the next several days, Yori explained as best she could, how the Tempus Simia worked; the need to place the head on the idol when the sun was at a certain position near the equator. To her surprise, no vortex opened up when she separated the head of the idol from the body as it had in the void.

She even produced a crude map, showing the monks how they could work their way across Asia, through the middle east and into Africa.

"The journey would take many months, even years." Yori concluded, "Perhaps we should take the idol and construct the temples ourselves."

"Stories are told among us of the sixteen monks who journeyed forth with the four statues containing the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah." The chief monk explained, "None of them ever returned, but we all know within our hearts they had many adventures and received great enlightenment. Even now, those in our order are eager to claim the same honor for themselves. I know by your story there is much you are not telling us. Indeed, I believe you have told us what we needed to know, and no more. The two of you have taken your own journey to bring the talisman to us. Now let us relieve you of your burden and write our own chapter in this story."

Neither Kintaro nor Yori argued the point with him.

The journey back to Japan seemed much shorter, and was over all too soon.

They parted with Sensei at the base of Mount Yamanuchi and journeyed northward, both of them knowing where they would live out the rest of their days. Kintaro was going home to Mutsu province, and his wife could think of nowhere she would rather be than with him near his boyhood home.

When they arrived at Mutsu castle, they paid their respects to lord Senzo, Kintaro's grandfather. They were even amused to see ten-year-old Hidesato training in the main courtyard with a wooden katana. Upon seeing the old man, Hidesato mischievously stuck his tongue out and made a face.

Kintaro couldn't resist publicly scolding the boy on showing the proper respect for his elders.

They spent one night at the castle, then made their way into the lonely and remote hill country northeast of Itsu village. Yori, who had not been there before, fell in love with it immediately.

They built a house together under a great shade tree. Then they constructed a small lean-to barn against the side of the nearby cliff. Yori grew vegetables, and loved her garden almost as much as she loved her husband. Kintaro raised a few chickens, and one or two goats, and occasionally hunted wild game.

Soon, they began to age once more. Yori noticed it first.

"Well, husband," She said with a cackle, "We are growing old once again. In fact, you are beginning to look ancient."

And though it was meant as a joke, Kintaro did not laugh, but instead stared at his wife in astonishment. It had not occurred to him until he had heard it just now, the Japanese word for 'ancient': _mukashi_.

From that moment on, 'Mukashi' was the only name he would call himself

They lived for twenty-five very happy years in their remote little home, each of them only needing the other to live as well as love. Mukashi occasionally fought in battles for Senzo, and then Hidesato when he came of age. For though Mukashi was old, he was very spry, and had a great deal of knowledge in the ways of battle.

On occasion they would visit Sensei, and relish a few days at Yamanuchi, just soaking up the atmosphere of the school and visiting with their old master. Sensei asked them for their story only once, and could tell by the vague explanations they gave him that he was not meant to know more. He never asked again, but came to regard them both as friends.

One day, they journeyed to Mutsu Castle to welcome the birth of Hidesato's only son. They held hands and smiled knowingly at each other when Hidesato came out to the balcony and proudly held his son aloft.

The days went by.

For Kintaro's fifth birthday, Mukashi carved a wooden katana. And though Yori appreciated the joke of Kintaro receiving a training sword from himself, she had become increasingly agitated in those days. She would never talk about it, and Mukashi never asked. They both knew what was bothering her.

Then, in the tenth year of young Kintaro's life, a typhoon swept across northern Japan. It destroyed many farms and killed both people and livestock.

Yori and Mukashi spent the better part of a frightened night listening to the wind howl through the rafters of their little home, while rain lashed at the walls.

"I do not like this," Yori squeaked, "We should be outside."

"I don't think we would fare much better if-"

He was interrupted by a horrendous, roaring, splintering crash. Before he could react, hands with surprising strength caught hold of him and flung him through the window. Mukashi went sprawling into the mud outside. He turned and, for an instant, saw his wife's pale and frightened face framed by the window. Then Yori disappeared as she stepped backward, further into the house.

A second later, the great tree obliterated their home.

Howling with anguish, Mukashi scrambled through the wreckage, but he knew what he would find, and why she had allowed herself to perish. Yori had lived long enough. She had brought the Tempus Simia into the past and completed the task she had been waiting for. But while she was a hero, and a woman of great strength, she simply did not have the power to watch her younger self betray her friends and loved ones. It was a burden she had carried long enough, but was unable to carry further.

Mukashi buried his beloved in her garden, and spent many lonely, grieving nights in the barn. But already he knew what needed to be done.

A long time ago, on the day before Veronica perished, she had come to him and given him a message:

'_She is not evil, though she may seem so. Within her beats the heart of a hero.'_

Mukashi knew the time would be coming when he would need to deliver that message to Veronica… to Raitaro.

He knew there would be a time when Yori and Kintaro would be stumbling through the dark, and would need a good meal. Perhaps his younger self might need encouragement on how to express his feelings for Yori.

He also knew that Mutsu castle would be taken, and three warrior women would wander through the wilderness, and need his assistance. He would tell them his wife died thirty years before, so as not to burden them with more concern than they needed.

And he also knew he would need to sacrifice himself to save Veronica, so that she might live to deliver his message. Thus, Mukashi would follow Yori into the next world…

_("…or any other, for that matter…")_

…and would be spared the pain of having to watch her betrayal. He had known five hundred years of happiness with the true Yori. He did not need to relive her treachery.

He constructed a lean-to hut near the barn, and waited.

Sometimes, when the wind howled across the hills in the winter, Mukashi would dream of his wife's ghostly face in the window of their home.

* * *

On a chilly December 3 afternoon, a terrified Ron Stoppable numbly made his way to his car with an armload of holiday gifts. These were to be the last few seconds of his life, and it would end miserably for him.

He hadn't spoken to Kim in days. More to the point she hadn't spoken to him. In the interests of preserving the timeline, Ron had decided to allow himself to be killed by Ray Beam, knowing full well what it meant for Veronica as well as the anguish Kim would be put through.

He hadn't told Kim of his decision to let himself be killed, but his weird behavior over the last few days tipped her off. They had argued, and Ron told her everything he and Wil Due had discussed several weeks before. He'd gone to Wil because Wade – Wade's older self – was the one who had given him the piece of paper with the date of his death written on it.

"Fine!" Kim shouted, "Go and let yourself be killed, Ron Stoppable. This is the stupidest decision you've ever made, and I am not about to support it."

Wil, who had heard all about the War of the Tempus Simia, sat down with Ron and drew a diagram of events that would be corrupted if Ron avoided his death.

If Ron lived, then his younger self wouldn't enter the timeline so soon, because his energy signature would be shown to extend beyond the time of his intended death. Thus there was no telling when his younger self would re-enter the timeline, and therefore it was very likely that Veronica would not be there to save Hidesato's army; they would all be overrun by Ishigawa's forces, and then the timeline really would collapse.

Although, as Ron fumbled for the keys to the Ninjet, it was just now occurring to him that Kim knew Veronica's story, which meant she wouldn't be buying Ray's bluff, which meant she wouldn't let Veronica run off and marry Ray Beam, which meant… well, who knows what it meant?

"The timeline's already been corrupted!" Ron said to himself in horrified realization. "There's already been a shift!"

Ron noticed he was standing next to his car.

It was too late.

Then, a crash followed by a scream. Ron looked up to see a body hurtling down the side of an office building across the street. It had come crashing through the window of one of the upper floors. But while no one else noticed, Ron had seen a short burst of green energy dissipate from the shattered window.

And he knew Kimono was in school that day.

"Looks like you're going to live after all, Ron," said a voice behind him. "What is it with you and your 'I'm gonna sacrifice myself for the greater good' complex?"

Ron spun around, dropping his gifts, to see his wife standing there with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her otherwise angry face.

"You had this planned all along!" Ron said accusingly.

"Maybe." Kim allowed.

"But the timeline could shift!"

"Shift happens!"

Ron had no answer for that particular bit of reasoning.

"So what happens when my younger self doesn't drop back into the timeline twelve years from now? I won't be able to take TJ, Kimono and Ronnie-Anne back with me!" Ron argued.

"Actually," Kim explained, "Wade's got an idea about that. He and Justine think they can modify her Quantum Disruptor to scan for your particular energy signal outside the timeline. With the proper burst of Chronotheta radiation, they're pretty sure they can pull your younger self back into the timeline in order to take the kids to ancient Japan with you. Kind of like catching a fish with a net. Cool, no?"

"So that's how it is?"

"Pretty much." Kim looked quite smug.

"Fine." Ron said, ignoring the gifts and walking over to his wife, "If we're going to play with the timeline, let's not monkey around. I think we should engage in some serious timeline corruption… In fact, we'd better hurry."

"Hurry where?" Kim looked puzzled.

"You'll see!" Ron said lightly as he grabbed her hand and led her way away from the scene.

* * *

The body across the street was identified as Raymond Beam.

The man he'd been with in the upper floor was arrested on suspicion of murder. Eventually his plot was discovered and his satellite weapon destroyed.

His story of a black-haired female assassin who shot green lasers from her hands was never corroborated by witnesses, and his government arranged for him to eliminated in the Middleton jail while he was awaiting trial.

* * *

Toshi, having grown up at Yamanuchi, knew little of the world beyond the walls of the school. He also cared little for it.

He was a very quiet child, very serious, and kept to himself most of the time.

Not that he was necessarily shunned by others in any way. Quite the opposite in fact.

Growing up at a ninja school, he learned the ways of ninjitsu from before he was able to walk. When he came of age, he was very skilled.

He was also devastatingly handsome.

From roughly his fifteenth birthday, and for the next five years, the young women who came to train at Yamanuchi practically threw themselves at him; including those who normally found no interest in romance. But Toshi had time for none of them. To him they were all just distractions from his studies. Toshi was not in the least bit interested in romance or relationships of any kind. He loved his mother and father, and they loved him. That was enough.

Until that day _she_ walked through the gates.

He spied her from his second story window and thought he had never seen anyone so achingly beautiful. Before he realized what he was doing, he was bounding down the stairs on all fours, out into the courtyard, and pushing past his parents who had come out to greet the new student.

"Toshi! What is this display of disrespect in front of our guests?"

He turned around with a sheepish look on his face, "Forgive me, Mother, I only wished to show the new student to her quarters."

Everyone within earshot was astonished. For Toshi to lavish such attention on anyone was unprecedented. Some of the young women in the courtyard were instantly jealous.

"Very well," Yori said sternly to her son, "But return immediately. She will want to say goodbye to her parents."

"As you wish!" Toshi said excitedly and snatched up the young woman's suitcase.

"I am Toshimiru," He said as he showed her to the new student's quarters, "But I would like you to call me 'Toshi.'"

"Hello," The young woman said with a shy smile, "My name is Veronica. Everyone calls me Ronnie-Anne."

Outside, four parents were speaking to each other.

"This is a great honor you have bestowed upon us, Stoppable-san, and Mrs. Stoppable-san." Yori said quietly.

"We figured you could teach her a few things. There might be a need for ninja skills in her future." Ron said with a hopeful smile.

"Of course," Kintaro nodded, "There is much we can teach her, such as how to be seemingly invisible even in an open space, or train her to hear an incoming arrow in time to remove herself from its path."

"That could prove very useful." Kim acknowledged.

They talked quietly for a time, until Toshi brought Ronnie-Anne back out to say goodbye to her parents. They all bade each other an affectionate farewell, then Kim and Ron walked across the bridge and through the waterfall beyond to begin the hike down the mountain. The Ninjet was waiting at the bottom.

"Did that kid have opposable toes?" Ron asked his wife.

She smiled and took his hand.

"You're weird, but I love you."


End file.
